Open My World
by Azure-ZER0
Summary: "All I had wanted was to venture into this vast world which I had only ever read about" Luka is a fugitive that is wanted by all three kingdoms: Shion, Kamui and Kagamine Who meets by chance a slave with teal hair and a thirst for discovery. Filled with swords, sorcery and adventure, their story is one that will lead to the fullfillment of eachother's dreams and a magical destiny.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **So, this is my first ever fic. Ever! I'm not that great of a writer and whatnot but I hope you look passed that and like the story. I'd also like to say to anyone that had took the time to read this that I accept any and all reviews, whether it be criticism or simply a comment that you like/dislike the story or want me to change something. Oh, and I'd also like to say my favorite fanfic author is Nuclear Eggs. That boy/girl has got it down. And for those of you haven't read his/her stories you shouldn't waste your time on mine and go read his/hers (I don't know what gender you are, please excuse me calling you he/she. I think you are very pretty/handsome and I'm a forever fan of your manly/womanly way of expressing your stories.) I swear to god I don't mean any offense! Okay, without further ado, (and if Nuclear Eggs could comment) I present to you "Open My World".

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Open My World: Curiousity Killed The Cat

1

The air was crisp with the impending winter as flakes of snow tumbled from the sky and bit through the heavy layered coats of people crowding the marketsquare. Small, trivial banter was traded between the townsfolk, even some loud boisterous laughing could be heard from the more disorderly gentlemen arriving from a nearby pub, consisting of an inn for any travellers waiting for the ice to let up. The clamerous hooves beneath the carriage set an easy rhythm in her mind as she gazed out passed the surrounding populace of their designated stop and into the sky, frowning slightly at the fruitless attempt as it was currently obscured in grey clouds which reminded her of the city below them. The faces of everyone identical to the stone that constructed the roads they walked on.

The stallions halted, their whinnies roaring over the bustle announcing their arrival and compelling the pink haired girl to cease her observation through the back of the carriage. She tugged her brown cap lower, it masked what it could of her face while her pink hair had been neatly tucked into her hat as well. Managing to produce a nod in return for the farewell of the coachman, she secured her first step out of the transport, gracefully landing onto the brick of the marketplace. She chanced glancing out from under the brim of her hat to see two uniformed men point a subtle finger in her direction. They seemed to be on duty looking out for suspicious folk, more accurately, Luka. She unconsciously lowered her brow, she would have preferred her presence to have remained unknown for longer than what it had in her previous borough, but it seemed however, that Kagamine was tired of cat and mouse and were mounting their next plan of advance, closing the walls around her. Her dry lips pulled into a haughty smirk, she rather enjoyed this game.

Weaving the rest of the way through the crowds, she successfully drew up deeper into the city streets, hearing her pursuers feet clack against the frigid stone. Picking up the pace, the older girl trailed into a more poverty ridden district that homed the scum this city and it's owner beat down upon. She could literally smell the pungent aroma of sewers and alcohol that wafted through the shambles of buildings, the houses and establishments this section of the city had to offer became progressively poorer and decimated. The streets were vacated, the ones who were fortunate enough to at least possess a measly abode were wholed up from the weather. A couple homeless collasped upon the cobblestone of the roads, suffering within in the cool temperatures. She spared them a pitying glance, proceeding to redirtect her attention to the men honing in on her. Kagamine was getting lazy it seemed, those two brats could learn a lesson or two from Kamui. She became all too aware of the cold steel of her rapier pressed uncomfortably against her side. These were adequete conditions, two authorities venturing into a nest that filled from floor to ceiling with murderers and thieves, marauders and bandits, no one would know. Another block furthur and the girl turned sharply into a damp and musty alley, vanishing from the armed men's sight. They hesitated, one taking lead in haste calling after the suspect.

"Hey! Stop there!" He barked before he tore through the gravel, rounding the corner. His eyes immediately cast right and left, looking for the pinkette, but instead found a deserted and dungy alleyway. Both men were surprised to see it was a dead end, impossible for her to have elluded them or hid. Luka grasped the hilt of her blade readily, merely looking at them through her eyes, the eyes of an expert at swordplay, she could count nearly fifty different weak spots in there defences. Scoffing silently, she slackened the grip on her sword, they were nothing more than trained dogs following the whims of a master and as such she didn't feel she should spend the effort. They scanned around again with bewildered demeanours, unable to detect the faint click which echoed as the pathway closed, a secret passage shrouded within the shadows that was accessible only by few. The girl listened for their fading footsteps to completely subside, she should not have come here it seems. Her move was easily anticipated, but she had no other options. She shrank against the wall slightly, she had escaped into the routes that travelled throughout the city under every nook and crook of roads and buildings, granting quick and simple access to anywhere the one following these tunnels needed to go.

She let out a breath, doffing her cap and letting her pink tresses casade down her shoulders and back as she tucked it into the niche of her black weather beaten cloak. She drew up her rough cowl then daring to plunge herself into the dark maze residing under the city. You had to be fairly familiar with this small pocket of the city, a lost wanderer that might stumble into this hidden web would have no way of finding ones way out without a guide. This only served further assurance that the hideout remained a secret. This place was dubbed the name, "Scale Hide Burrow", it operated as a black market and nearly anything else a criminal could want. Gambling, prostitution, selling and purchasing contraband and of course this was just a simple place to indulge in liquior or narcotics.

Following her instincts alone, she was able to navigate herself though the shadowy labyrinth. The most simple of things that most would deem trivial she payed a focused mind to, the sudden gust of chill that brought about a repugnant odor, the mere rise in temprature, the most subtle sounds, she was able to conjure a map within in her mind. A right, a left, she was getting closer. Forward, turn, the noise of discourse flitted passed her ears and the stench of brandy was more prominent than that of the sewers. Her destination entered her perception as she crept down a particular corridor. A single door, it's hinges rusted and the wood of it water-worn and beaten, a brass knocker fastened to the front with a large peep hole above it. Her gloved hand seized the copper of the lions head and battered it against the wooden portal. Patiently waiting, she tugged the hem of her mantle becoming more wary, her worries of Kagamine being somehow present here were dismissed quickly as she knew that they made little friends with that of the meager. But, it was likely Kamui would have watch-dogs situated even here in this underworld. Only cut-throats and other outlaws had this hideout available to them and Kamui wasn't one to be known for having the cleanest of hands.

She didn't wait long until a burly man slid open the iron covering the peep-hole, a scar crossing his left eye and a beard hanging from his round face.

He then recited in a hard voice, "Fallen from heaven and scour the light,"

"When only within dark he may enter." Luka replied in a low voice. The hatch closed before the man heaved the heavy door open, revealing the dim den within. Lanterns, candles and the like illuminated what it could of the vast chamber. A bar counter sported a couple fallen men who had abused their liquior while others were placing wages on a brawl in a far away corner. Blood streaked the floor, some of it fresh enough to deduce it had happened merely hours before and from the wooden tables littered around, glares aimed at her as she entered, most sizing her up, judging if she be a reasonable fighter, some were even a tad irritated by the fact she was hiding her face and it struck a few people with curiousity. She ignored them and lowered her head further as her blue orbs scoured the remaining members of the pub, resisting the urge to grimace she noted with uncertainty a far off cage. She took several strides to cover half the distance put between her and the bloodied confines, plopping herself down in a stool before the bartender. Her earlier observation was correct being that it truly was a cage. And inside was a beaten and bruised bundle of flesh that whimpered slightly as a whip lashed out at it. The screams were ones that were produced from a girl's lips, her scarred body beginning to turn pale even under the orange light of the torches encircling their main attraction. Others laughed and threw things as they spurred the man on to whip her again and again. They called vulgur trivials, eyeing the naked form up and down.

Luka watched for all of a mintue before turning away in disgust. She was no stranger to these types of activities - not that she's ever done it, but she's seen it countless times where people were sold as slaves that suffered under the abuse and oppression of an owner. But this was different, nearly everyone here were taking part in their crude games. As the bar man set down an overflowing tankard of ale, Luka quickly grasped it, putting the warm mug to her lips and indulging in a large gulp of the cheap gold fluid. She flinched slightly when she heard another gut-wrenching wail emerging from the chamber. The bartender noticed her unease and leaned over so he could be heard.

"Something bothering ye?" Said the man gruffly with an accusing edge.

"Curiousity" The pinkette replied shortly.

He glared at her, tightening the grip on his ragged dish cloth, "Curiousity killed the cat,"

"I'm no cat," Said Luka with a grin appearing on her pink lips.

"Don't mean ye can't be killed,"

"And are you going to try and prove that?" She asked with a bit of daring, it must have been the effect of the alcohol.

Leaning back barely, the man kept close as he asked again, "What're ye so curious 'bout?"

Luka sensed that he had ignored her rather sharp tongue and was now willing to accept what she had to say, "What is that girl doing in that cage?" She questioned seriously leaning in as she kept her voice low.

"Oh, the lass with teal tails." he remarked with a sudden understanding. "She be sold to a man hidin' out somewhere in 'ere"

The pinkette looked around briefly once again, there was no one who indicated that they might have possession over her. Someone that young would be sold for a handsome price, surely nothing any of these cut-throats could afford.

"Since when has she been here?" asked Luka.

"No more 'an a couple hours before." He informed, glancing back at the teal haired girl.

"Where is her owner?"

The main sighed a tired breath, taking the empty glass from the girl and wiping it clean. "Couldn't tell ye, hadn't seen 'em since he put her in that cage."

"So he just let everyone do what they like with her?" Luka asked incredulously.

"Yes," The man said, regret seeping into his voice, "They were jus' goin' to pass her around and have their way wit' her, but she had fought them off. So they decided caging her up was for the best."

"You sound as if you feel sorry for her." Luka said to the man, wondering why a criminal like him should care.

"Aye lass, even I can't ignore the fact she is no older than a child. She don't deserve it."

Luka bit her lip. He was right. She didn't look that much younger than Luka and even Luka was hardly a woman yet. She was merely a girl and if anything, if she were placed in that slave's position, she would want help. That girl was probably, looking around fruitlessly as she saw the same faces with the same intent to harm her. But, Luka was nothing like any of these people, if she could, she would swoop in and save her, but she had problems of her own to deal with. She tugged her hood lower at the thought. If anyone were to know Luka Megurine was in Kagamine borders, she'd be captured and put to death. Luka frowned and unconsciously rubbed the flesh of her neck with her hand, the place they would chop off her head as everyone watched. She gulped, there was no way she was going to let them have the satisfaction of seeing the great Megurine fall. Not ever. She clenched her teeth and with a braced step she hauled her dejected body from the wooden perch and attempted to cross through the horde surrounding the teal girl. She resigned to glance once more at the girl, only to find the same teal orbs that were squeezed shut, open and meeting her gaze.

Blood trickled down over one eye, impairing her sight, but the girl knew it was definately the hooded stranger who had entered not too long ago. For some reason, seeing this person's face granted her a sliver of hope. Those sapphire pools held something in them that told her that - like herself, she wasn't meant to be there. They held eachother's stare for what seemed like hours in waiting, Luka felt guilt brew in the pit of her stomache. She had to go! If she stayed there... If she intervened, it would mean the chopping block. Luka steeled herself to look away and continue, she needed to escape.

The slave looked on as the pinkette disappeared into the crowd, leaving her. That was it, the tealette finally broke, she shrank into the hollow confines and collasped into herself. Was this it? Was no one going to help her? Was she going to die? For nothing!? The leather of the whip slashed her side again, engraving another horrible wound upon her fragile skin. She couldn't summon up the strength to even scream out again. Tightening her grip onto the leather bound book within her grasp, she curled up in the cell. The core of an apple was flung at her, meeting her straight in the face, bringing in another chorus of laughter. She wanted so much for them to grow tired of her, she wanted to rest, she wanted to be home again. She should have never ventured on this rewardless journey in search of mere tales. The book in her arms is what had provoked her to find more, more outside of what she knew and to explore new lands. A fool's dream it was, these things were nothing but savages that brought about destruction.

The uproarous laughter and unrestrained euphemisms continued echoeing thoughout the hideout. As she pushed her way toward the cage, the noise began to become a series of curses at the sudden distruption of their entertainment. Luka undid the latch of the metal bars encasing the teal girl before reaching out toward her. The man with the whip, seemingly leader of the pack of wolves suddenly called out loud alerting everyone else who was inside Scale Hide Burrow.

"Oi, You! Wha' do you think ye're doin' wit' our slave!?" Luka ignored him as she made the first contact ever with the small bundle. Her gloved hands startled the girl who whirled around quickly, preparing to tear those hands away until she recognized those oceans of deep-blue staring back at her. She had a second to take in what showed of Luka's face before it was revealed to everyone by the man who had mercilessly whipped her. He had got fed up with being ignored and had quickly tore off the cowl concealing Luka's unmistakable features. Pink hair cascaded down her back as an expression of suprise and fear contorted her face. She suddenly stopped her advance for the slave when everyone quieted down and stared at her astonishedly, even the fellows brawling had turned around in bewilderment at the quick silence that enveloped the stone chamber. Luka frowned at this misfortunate turn of events. It was when she was halfway out the door that she had stopped for no apparent reason, other than the fact she had stopped hearing those cries from the prisnor. She at first thought she had inexplicably died, but as she turned around, she could see the form was still shivering against the iron bars. It was as if the very the thought of that girl being dead plucked something within Luka's heart and churned in her gut and the next thing she knew she had unwittingly leapt back into the mass of marauders and had tried to make off with their prize. That may have been the most stupid thing she had ever done in her entire life. Luka thought that she could blame the alcohol later and right now was no time to berate herself for her stupidity. The bartender was wrong, it wasn't curiousity that killed the cat, it was idiocy.

Luka proceeded to take the girl into her arms, holding her as a groom would hold his newly wed or a prince whisking away his princess. She turned back around to face the impending doom she had inadvertantly set for herself. The leader of the pack looked at her for another second before he broke out into hysterical laughter, inspiring everyone else to do the same.

It was a few minutes until the bandit calmed down enough to speak coherently, "Well looky 'ere gentlemen! It's her, it's really her!" He exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the pinkette. "Whad' an idiot to come o' here of ol' places!"

Luka looked back indignantly, passed the obtrusive finger and glared at the man, "What are you talking about?"

He howled again, his grin even wider, placing both hands on his hips heartily. "Don't ye realize da' three kingdoms 're after yer hide?"

"You have no such allegiance to the kingdoms" said Luka quickly. "You have no reason to turn me in."

"Spoils is a good e'nuff reason to me! And da' bounty on yer head is a handsome one indeed" The thief spat. Luka scowled, even their hatred of the nobles wasn't enough to warrant off their love for wealth. She opened her mouth to reply, to buy herself time to think but a smooth male voice rose over the crowd, causing everyone to become silent.

The man approached her confidently, with a leap in his step, unable to completely mask his joy at his convenience. The men surrounding Luka and her package moved timidly from his way as he came face to face with the pinkette, several mercenaries at his back acting as guard dogs. He smiled smugly at Luka, brushing away his long purple hair from his eyes.

"Well, well, well, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing your beautiful face." Said the man charmingly which only made Luka want to wipe that grin off his face.

"Oh, lord Kamui," She said with much feigned pleasantness. "I thought that that repugnant odor was from the sewers, but it was you all this time." A few snickers escaped the people surrounding them at his expense and her turned to them with a heated glare whilst ordering them to remain silent.

"Shut up!" he said to one of his subordinates. He turned to the other girl again, a glower replacing his confident smirk. "You haven't lost your charm, Luka" He stated sarcastically, "I'll spare you the pleasantries, but before we continue, I would like my property back."

The pinkette followed his gaze, glancing down to the girl snuggling against her chest in an effort to remain warm in the frigid conditions. She narrowed her brow lower which gave birth to a new smile on Gakupo's lips. Luka tightened her grip.

"You did this?" Her eyes lit up into a brighter blue as she pierced him with a firey gaze. It made sense now, mere criminals may not have the wealth to purchase such "quality goods", but Kamui was a prince, a young king and had more than enough to pay for a simple slave, he had hundreds under his influence already.

"Why, yes. In fact I did. I _was _going to keep her to myself," he said slowly "But, everyone should know the pleasure of a 'tight' whore" Everyone laughed a long with him, waiting for a response of the pinkette, though it didn't come.

Luka would'nt let it show on her face, not for his satisfaction, but on the inside she was aflame with anger consuming her rational thought. He was baiting her, but she didn't care she would be a fish on hook if she could have a chance at ripping him apart. Before she could draw her blade and make due with him, a sudden scream wailed over the room and jerked her from her thoughts. The door was beaten down by military dressed royaly in the kagamine colours and adorning their gold emblem which became painted in red from the blood they spilled as they killed everyone within Scale Hide Burrow. Captain of the squadron marched through as everyone immersed themselves in battle against the many bandits and guards. The clash of steals and battle cries resonated against the walls and more fresh crimson was smeared on the floor. Gakupo's guards fought off anyone attempting to attack their lord as the prince hid behind them. Kamui looked over to the leader of the raid noticing it was the famed sword of Kagamine, Sonika. Her long green tresses tied in a high ponytail, her bangs slightly obscuring her green orbs. She seemed to notice him too as she approached, drawing her sword indicating she wanted to engage in battle with the young king. Against his guards, he pushed his way through to encounter the girl who dared interrupt his capture. He looked at her, her face was completely expressionless, akin to a doll or puppet as she followed the pull of her strings that Kagamine navigated for she was famous for her stoic dispostion even when taking a life. Raising her sword, she pointed it's sharp edge at him, earning a more mild look to cross his face.

"What are you doing here in our territory, Kamui?" She asked with detest, like the name left a bad taste in her mouth.

"How dare you!" Shouted Gakupo as he readied his sword. "I was the one who trapped her, you have no-"

"And both Lords Kagamine thank you for your effort. But, I will warn you only once, run now and I may let you escape with your life, so long as you promise to never enter our borders again." She stated with the same amount of disinterest, as if the line was rehearsed. The prince ignored her, believing she was implying that he had no chance to fight her off. He was a king! He left destruction in his path, no one who crossed him lived, and definately not those little brats!

He quickly charged at her in a fit of rage.

_A tantrum fit for a queen, _Sonika thought. Before he sould even bring his sword down to cleave her in two, Sonika had manouevered her blade in a swift movement, slashing him down his face. He stared wide eyed as blood spurted from his wound and his body fell to the ground with a thud. His blood had managed to spray onto her face, though she ignored it as she looked on his fallen, lifeless corpse expressionlessly.

"A king may cowar in his throne, in battle he is completely useless." She muttered into the noise of the chamber. Her green orbs glanced up and pierced that of sapphire that gazed at her with an astonished stare. The pinkette was fighting off one of her many knights with a single arm as the other was occupied with cradling a teal bundle.

Luka had looked up from her current battle in time to see Kamui struck down within the mass of other soldiers. She saw Sonika's agile movements, a single swipe of her blade had rendered the king lifeless and bloodied on the floor. Now she knew how she had earned her title as Sword of Kagamine. However, as those green eyes met hers, Luka was able to identify a weakness, a fragility that would mean she was no match for her.

It wasn't until Sonika began approaching that she realized she had this girl with her. There was no way she cold fight off all of them with the slave in her arms, she had no way to escape. But, if she left her here- No! Luka thought quickly, dismissing the thought of ever leaving her to die. She couldn't do that! The girl she held was so young, so innocent, she didn't deserve this. As Sonika strode closer with slow steps, Luka kicked her opponent over in mid swing and he toppled over easily. She doged a swipe from a second soldier behind her, thrusting her blade into his chest. The other guards were too occupied with the other thieves and mercenaries to pay her much mind as the greenette approached in more of a haste. Luka began to panick, she would surely perish at the end of Sonika's blade, she had no way to fight her with one of her arms burdened and her movements slow and uncordinated due to the extra weight. She looked around for an escape, anything that would get her and her companion out of there. There was nothing. Giving up scanning around for another route around this, Luka met Sonika's gaze resolutely.

She may be able to defeat her yet, Luka thought reassuringly. Just as the Sword of Kagamine heaved her blade above her head to deliver a swift finisher, she was all at once caught off guard and tackled to the ground by a large man, the same one who had been working the bar. The captain's blade was knocked from her grasp, lost within the crowd and her arms were pinned behind her by her much bigger opponent.

"Hurry lass! The entrance is empty! Go!" Sonika threatened to escape his grip as she writhed within his grapple. Luka looked at him dumbly before processing what he had said and taking off for the sole door leading into Scale Hide Burrow. She had sheathed her sword and held the smaller girl more securely with both arms as she bounded through the crowd, narrowly avoiding other members of the attack. She leapt over the door that had been knocked down by the soldiers and quickly worked her mind to navigate through the maze once again. The screams of the dieing echoeing behind her as she made her final dash out of the dangerous labyrinth with her new companion in her embrace.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Wow! Thank you everyone who has reviewed, favorited, followed and whatnot. I was definately not expecting to get such good feedback. I hope this next chapter will be to your liking also, however, it was really hard to write! I'm completely being honest with you that I had not at all planned this story out passed the first chapter. So any comments are welcome about what I should change. I accept any and all reviews whether they be comments, criticism or something that says you simply like the story. The next chapter will be better because I will most likely take more time to edit it also. I will try to continue updating regularly even on school days. Thank you so much.

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Open My World: Bonding Enchantments

2

Luka leapt out into the light of the sky. The ground of the alley was bright, the freshly fallen snow reflecting the light and piercing Luka's eyes. She didn't take a moment to adjust as she bounded towards the alley's mouth, the frosty chill that bit her nose, turning it red. They were surely still after her, she had little time though as she thought they'd still be fighting off the band of outlaws that were hiding out in Scale Hide Burrow. With the teal bundle held securely in strong arms and her newly granted reputation as the one who had destroyed the bandit hideout, Luka had no intention of staying. She had made no friends here as far as she could tell.

Word will most likely spread like a disease about the infamous Luka stealing property of the young king, selling-out Scale Hide Burrow and resisting arrest. Luka would have been free and far away if she hadn't decided to help the slave. She cursed herself under her breath, thinking that if she weren't trying to be heroic all the time that she wouldn't find her self in such troublesome situations. All this time she's been playing cat and mouse, believing she was the predator in all of this and now she's realized she had unwittingly run into their trap.

Springing out into a large step, Luka nearly stumbled over her own feet as she retreated back within the crook of the buildings. Four guards rushed passed, weapons drawn, calling out obscinities at their bad luck of being unable to find the pinkette. She watched them run by, peeking out more cautiously this time. She realized she wouldn't be able to make a run for the exits, Kagamine troops were probably posted at every way out and Luka couldn't very well travel through the tunnels under the city like she had orignially planned. She shrank against the wall, plotting her next move before a sneeze quickly stirred her from her musings. The frail girl shivered in her arms, still drenched in blood and without any clothes. She would have to think about a way out later on, at the moment the girl's health was of top priority. Hypothermia was a common thing, especially amoung the poorer civilians. One had to work to attain necessities to keep warm, one needed a job to work and with no jobs people found themselves dead on the streets or begging for what measly left overs they could get. There was no way this would all be for nothing, she wasn't about to let this girl die now. Luka began lowering the tealette onto the cold stone but was stopped by a hand holding tightly onto her shoulder, the other hand still gripping onto her leather bound book.

"W-wait, where are you g-going" The girl muttered pitifully, her teeth chattering as her body shook.

"I'm going to get you clothes." said Luka in a soft voice, attempting to remove the hand that stayed her. The girl wouldn't let go,

"Y-you're lieing. You... Y-you are going to leave."

Luka looked at the girl strangely, the girl's eyes were shut tight, her limbs pressed close together in the cold, "If I wanted to abandon you, I would have just dropped you in the sewers."

"B-but, but..." She tried to protest with only the tiniest of whimpers escaping her lips.

"Just wait here." said Luka as she finally pulled away from her, proceeding to sneak out of the alleyway. The smaller girl sat their stiff, curling into herself and hugging her lone possession to her body as she waited for her saviour to return. She had no idea how long she's been in that underworld. It was so dark and isolated from the outside that one would forget the time or celebrate far into the next day without knowing. So as she looked up at the sky and noted that it was light out, she had no idea whether it was the same day that they had dragged her by her hair and into Scale Hide Burrow or if it was a week following. The time wasted in that cage had made her numb. She couldn't feel her toes. Or her fingers for that matter. She almost started wondering if they were still there or if the cold had taken them away. She shifted uncomfortably against the wall, looking at her filthy arms and legs that were coloured crimson in her own blood. She would have thrown up at what had become of her if she had actually anything in her stomach. Her cuts and lacerations itched but she tried ignoring it, the pain of relieving it was much worse than that of the actual irritation. She coughed dryly into her chest, her head beginning to grow warm and ache, throbbing like something was attempting to break their way from the inside out. But, even in this situation, she felt grateful. It seemed that everyone here wasn't as corrupted as she had first thought, she had somehow managed to find a kind heart within the rest of the rotten ones. A needle in a haystack is what Luka was to her. A diamond in the rough.

The tealette jumped at the sudden crunch of snow beside her, opening her eyes (unaware she had let them rest) she spun her head to the intrusion upon her musings when she recognized Luka's face in front of her own, the older girl bearing clothes in her hands. Examining her for a moment, the smaller girl noticed she was dressed differently than when she had left. She now adorned more browns and whites rather than blacks and greys. Her heavy cloak replaced with a lighter tunic with gold trim which suggested it was rather expensive. Sturdy leather shoes were traded for her previous more battle worn boots and her hose were still a darker shade though they were in prim condition. Luka's altogether new appearence was charming and respectable even. Miku finally let her eyes rest on the clothes that remained, taking them hesitantly with one hand.

"Quickly get dressed," said Luka as she stood up peering out of their hiding place. "We will be leaving shortly if we are to make it in time." The smaller girl blushed as she saw that Luka had actually went and obtained under-garments for her, even more when she had put them on discovering that they were a perfect fit.

"U-um, Where are we going?" asked the tealette nervously, setting her book down to slip the top over her head.

"Further into the city. You'll see when we get there."

* * *

"So, it's true?" he asked, an edge to his young voice as he eyed the bowing head of their famed Sword. He spoke from a high throne, the rest of the room decorated lavishly in gold and scarlet as pillars filed behind eachother leading to his and his sister's pedestals which reigned high on several sets of stairs, a carpet draped upon it with the same intricate designs imprinted into it as the emblems emblazed upon their crowns and attire. The girl next to him slumped lazily over her golden perch, raking her eyes over the paintings claiming their ceilings that displayed human's interpretation of heaven and angels.

"Yes. I encountered Megurine within Scale Hide Burrow, but was unable to arrest her." The lifeless girl replied, only loud enough for her two rulers to hear, a knee on the ground while her other was raised to support her right arm, head hung low in shame at her failure of her master's wishs.

"Ha! Oh, please, Sonika, I beg of you to retell the tale of how you had valiantly struck down our dear lord Kamui." The girl suddenly drawled in an energetic sneer, whilst sitting up pert in her seat. "What had he said again? Oh! That's right... 'This was my capture! Hyaa!" The blonde imitated with false brovado as she proceeded to raise her arms in the air and flail them as if wielding a sword.

"Rin! Stop this foolishness! He wasn't our target!" said Len sternly with a scowl etched onto his boyish face.

"Why!?" Rin suddenly exploded, a frown replacing her previous jeer. "Kamui and Shion treat us as jests and you know it. Could fools really do away with a king!?"

"Kamui dug his own grave. We had hardly planned him being here which meant he had easily weasled his way into our territory from right under our noses." Len huffed, tired of his sister's rants.

"Even so! _He_ died, not us. He was a pathetic man who had died with the same lack of dignity and influence he had ruled with. People will hardly look twice at his passing."

"He still has an heir, it won't take long for word of his demise to travel back to his kingdom and for the new king to take his place. It will be as if nothing happened." Len argued again. Rin rolled her eyes at her younger brother. He was a weak ruler, one that bowed to other powers and believed high heights couldn't be achieved which always resulted in him being kicked into the dirt.

"His heir is even more incompetant than that purple oaf. With his experience, all he may be able to do is manage a fief or two and pamper himself with what luxuries is passed down to him from his predecessor."

Len brushed his blonde locks back, turning his glare to the wall as Rin sunk back into her throne. At the moment, she could care less about the capture. With Kamui out of the way, that only opened a larger window of opportunity for them. But here Len was, pacing the floors, sending their guards on wild-goose chases, making them look all the more like jesters, morons to be laughed at and taunted. Screw Luka and her damned trinkets, power is what mattered to her, not mere child's tales and folklore. Len had been travelling the halls too much for her taste and she wanted him to snap out of his delusion about gods. Gods did not interfere with the likes of man. What proof was there!? Absolutely none! Rin has dared to defy them. To become one. She would soon be the highest power known to man, she would become the personification and symbol of all that is unfathomable and infinite. Rin stood up abruptly from her seat, hands clasped into fists held nearly unrestrained by her sides.

"Sonika!" She addressed with the most authority and dominion she could summon. The greenette looked up at her, meeting the firey gaze that could very well pierce the heavens.

"Yes, my mistress..." The Sword acknowledged, seeing her goddess venture down from her perch and bless her unworthy soul with her presence.

"I want you to withdraw our soldiers. Have them stop this nonsense!"

"Rin, you can't be serious! We are so close! So close to finally achieving our ultimate goal-" Len exclaimed with as much fear in his voice as he felt.

"Len," Rin started slowly, menacingly "As the Eldest heir to the Kagamine throne, my word stands above all else. And as ruler over these lands and these people, I swear by my own righteous power that I will personally conquer those who oppose me. You are no exception if you get in my way!"

* * *

Pink supported teal as they went further along with their journey. Luka had settled with hooking her arms under that of her companion's as to avoid looking odd if she had continued to carry her. She noticed she was still very fragile even after imbueing her with a special elixer she had fashioned for injuries. The girl seemed to be having a hard time staying awake too and Luka would every now and then have to jolt her with a pull of her arm as the girl's eyes closed to the world. It began to worry the pinkette, but she stayed with a steady pace so as to make it easier on her. They were maybe a block or two from their destination from what Luka could remember and had oddly enough seen no patrols roaming the streets.

The moon was beginning to reign over the sky and the faintest of stars shimmered within the darkened atmosphere, leaving the sun's rays to be only seen in the far stretches of the city and unable to reach the paths between the buildings which only left shade.

Luka felt more comfortable in the dark. Perhaps all of her time creeping within the shadows had made her adjusted to such conditions, it made where ever she was all the more inviting it seemed. She tugged the appendage once again after sighing in exhaustion.

"You still hadn't mentioned your name" Luka noted, meeting the teal gaze that had looked away from their linked arms. They hadn't traded a word we eachother since they had began travelling however many hours ago. Luka too busy scouring the roads for the best of paths that would have the least possiblity of them being detected.

"It's Miku." The slave said, not thinking she would have to keep anything from her saviour and also too tired to start trying.

Luka responded with a short nod before repeating the name a couple times to herself, twirling it around her tongue so as to remember it, "Miku... Well, my name is Megurine Luka"

"The _infamous_ Megurine Luka," Miku inserted drousily "I had heard it enough times when we were in Scale Hide Burrow to remember that for some reason you are not a very liked person." The way she had said it with an upward infliction set Luka off somewhat. Was she saying it as a bad thing?

"Are you having second thoughts about roaming around with a criminal?" Said Luka dryly, an almost indignant tone. She glanced up at an incoming diverging path, turning right and purposely taking a longer route to drag out their conversation. She might have reason after all to get rid of her.

"You are no criminal, regardless of the things you may have done" Miku replied as she stifled a yawn with the palm of her hand, making her come off as nothing but ladylike which baffled the pinkette.

Luka straightened up at her words "Then what would that make me?" asked Luka amusedly, not so much understanding the rather peculiar girl. A short pause enveloped the cold air, only the sound of crunching snow could be heard as they marched through. And - completely catching Luka off guard, Miku's lips had pulled into a smile. A small one, but still not the least bit unreal.

"... A prince" She finally said, earning a subtle blush to cross her saviour's pale cheeks.

Luka couldn't help thinking back to what fairytales she had been inevitably subjected to as she was younger. The classics which involved a princess stolen away by an evil antagonist as her heroic knight in shining armor planned to save her. Eventually concluding with the princess falling in love with the prince's courage and strength while the prince falls in love with the princess's beauty and innocence, proceeding to marry and live happily ever after. Luka mentally grimaced at the thought. Even when she was a child she couldn't understand how someone could tie themselves to another person forever. Most of those stories consisted of chemistry between the two at first glance. Was that love? Knowing and feeling with all that your were that you were meant to be together? The willingness to give up one's freedom, one's dreams and one's dignity? If it was, Luka wanted no part of it. How could one fall so low? They would literally kneel before that single person and beg them to take away their unrestricted life. Weakness, it was utter weakness. It was one thing the pinkette had actually come to dread and fear. She couldn't understand it... She vowed she wouldn't let it happen to her.

She didn't want to fall in love.

Luka glanced at Miku quickly before hastily removing her gaze pretending to focus on her enviroment, all the while thinking that Miku really _was _pretty. (Well more than pretty...) Whether it was her large teal orbs or her extremely long hair to match, Luka wasn't sure. But it surely wasn't enough to reel her in.

"A prince...?" The pinkette decided to humour her as she prompted the tealette to explain.

Miku nodded with a little more energy, this topic somehow bringing out more of her than she'd thought it would. "Yes. I read about a prince being one who is strong, loyal, dutiful and brave. A pure heart who battles against evil."

"Whose to say I'm all those things? Or even pure at heart for that matter." asked Luka, a small smile growing on her lips at the girl's surprising imagination. Was that really how she thought she was?

Miku looked off into a random direction, most likely thinking over her overall impression of the fugitive before starting off wistfully. "A corrupt heart would have never looked at me with pity as I was tortured. One who wasn't brave wouldn't have plunged themselves within a horde of outlaws to save me. One who wasn't strong wouldn't have fought off soldiers as they held me in their arms. One who wasn't dutiful wouldn't have carried me far out of harms way. And one who wasn't loyal wouldn't have, when presented with the opportunity to leave me in the alley and very well escape, come back bearing clothes and a remedy for my injuries." Miku stated seriously, her voice seeming to echoe against the stone walls of the empty street.

At her words, Luka was struck into silence. It _was _true, she realized. Why had she done all those things in the first place? She wasn't the same girl all those years ago, playing knight while the other girls wanted to play princess. She had long ago abandoned the foolish dreams of becoming a hero that travelled the world doing good deeds or fighting for the king who she once thought was just. She wasn't that same stupid child. Or was she? This whole new perspective that Miku had inadvertantly brought to her attention confused and bewildered Luka, leaving her at a loss for words. The pinkette unconsciously twirled the amulet that hung at her neck about her fingers, feeling comfort at the tedious action. Miku was merely naive to the world. She didn't know what she was talking about.

"Right..." Luka began, looking up to a building they had stopped in front of. A wooden sign dangled from chains, displaying the name of the establishment. The words, "Doctrina Ars" splayed across it's rough expanse in bold caps with an artistic edge to the letters. The title was accompanied by small pictures of vials and potions painted in red and blue.

"This is it" said Luka, snapping Miku out of her wide-eyed observation of the big and eery structure. Most people that weren't so accustomed to this particular shop or familiar with what odds and ends it happened to sell were quickly scared away by the aura it seemed to possess. Some rumours even began floating around about why there was such odd odors emanating from it, the main conclusion Luka herself had heard was about a monster that dwelled within. It was something like that, Luka thought. Leading the tealette to the door, she began slowly cracking the portal open, only to be stopped by Miku who pulled her away.

Luka glanced at her confusedly, "What is it?"

"You aren't even going to knock first?" Miku asked incredulously, eyeing the door with slight fear, but for some reason curiousity seemed to overwhelm her expression.

"You never knock when entering a monster's den" said Luka, a grin playing across her lips as she watched that odd curious and fearful look grow.

"T-There's a monster in there?" Miku asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice. Luka placed her hand onto the entrance, cracking it open and guiding Miku inside.

Miku gazed around, examining the different bottles and elixers littering every available table or counter top. Parchament paper was scattered over the tables as well with series of scribbled notes and some stained with whatever concoctions the person had been tinkering with. Books and books lay piled on top of eachother and haphazardly layed out on a particular wooden piece of furniture that were opened to certain articles. If it weren't for the large leather cushioned chair set in front of it, Miku would have never recognized it as a desk. Several bookshelves pressed themselves against the walls and star charts were plastered on some of the empty left over space which had also been crudely printed on. The scent of candles and god knows what else wafted through Miku's nostrils, prompting her to cover her orifice with a small hand. She looked back at Luka in time to see her lock the door behind them before stepping passed Miku deeper into the 'monster's den'. Luka wandered up to the vacant counter, being careful to watch her step before ringing the bell. A crash was heard from the opposite door leading into the basement, startling Miku who remained close to the door in case she - for some reason - needed to make a hasty escape. "D-did I really not lock that door?!" They heard from a female voice behind the wooden barrier, though the question seemed to be more directed at herself than at her intruders. Miku watched the door fling open, revealing a small girl not much taller than herself with unkempt green hair and a pair of orange goggles over her eyes.

"I'm sorry but I ain't operatin' at the moment." The girl said lazily as she quickly dismissed her guests.

Luka smiled at her, "It's nice to see you too." She said teasingly whilst brushing a rebellious pink strand from her face. The greenette stopped what ever she was about to do and looked back at Luka, removing the obstrusive spectacles to see her old friend. A smile broke out across her face as she literally leapt over the obstacle, disregarding her other possessions as she pulled the pinkette into her arms ardently.

"Luka! I can't believe it!" She cheered whilst snuggling her head into the older girl's chest. Just as fast as she had pounced on the girl, she pulled back, putting the pinkette at arms length as her eyes widened with discovery.

"Gumi? What's wrong?" Luka asked, baffled by the sudden change in expression.

"You've grown..." The girl named Gumi, stated with facination.

Miku watched as Luka raised her arm above her forehead, trying to get a precise measurement of her height. "I don't think I have much." said Luka confusedly as she glanced back down to the smaller girl, who's gaze was for some reason not on her eyes.

"Not there!" Gumi exclaimed, proceeding to remove her hands from her friend's shoulders and onto Luka's... "assets" with such velocity it scared the tealette. "These are not the small girls I remember from so long ago! What have you been eating!?" Gumi asked with amazement.

Luka blushed a deep red as she tried to process the fact she was being molested. And by her long time friend no less.

"Y-You..." Luka began quietly prompting Gumi to look up curiously and cease her exploration of the pinkette's chest. Suddenly, she lashed out. "You pervert! What the hell do you think you are doing!"

Gumi stroked the sore ache on her head where Luka had decided to wack her. "I'm s-sorry" Gumi mustered out, cracking an eye open to look at her friend. "I-It's the aphrodisiac. And the fact that you're somehow all sexy now." The last part she muttered under her breath.

"Aphro.. disiac?" Miku sounded out, the word completely foreign to her.

"Yeah. I was testing out some recipes in the basement until you two came in. I ended up spilling it on myself." Gumi explained as she indicated to a blue fuid staining her cheek and pants. Luka shoved by her, grumbling something about Gumi being a moron, still burning with embarassment at the thought she had been fondled. The great Megurine had just been toyed with by a mediocre chemist. She had never engaged in such degrading activities before. For god's sake she had never even kissed anyone! Not that it mattered to her, but she didn't think that the first time she was ever touched in such a way would be by her idiot of a friend hyped up on her own wild concoctions. Luka rushed to one of the tables, gathering up several different herbs and powders along with some of the already mixed potions and beginning to work around the mess.

"I-I can't believe you, Gumi! Going and doing- I just! I-I can't believe this!" Luka ranted, too embarassed to say it out loud. Miku watched her place her aquired herbs into a mortar and pestle, using it to crush, grind and mix the solid substances and then proceeding to move from one spot to another on light feet as her agile hands flew about the wooden surface grabbing the next following ingredients.

Gumi herself plopped herself down on the next available chair, looking lazily at a far off wall while Miku's eyes fixed on watching her saviour's graceful motions. Luka managed to be so elegant even when doing something that should have never been so entrancing. The spell cast over Miku was broken as the pinkette turned back around, a remedy in hand.

Gumi looked up into the face of her old friend who presented her with a "cure" for her condition.

"Drink this" ordered Luka, forcing the vial into her grasp. The greenette pouted childishly as she put the substance at arms distance.

"I don't want this foul thing!"

Walking back toward the entrance, Luka hooked her arm around Miku's once again who was using the wall to support her weight before taking her toward the basement door. "I need you to work on Miku's injuries. The medicine I had given her had only numbed the pain, I need you to heal her. And I won't have you acting inappropriately while doing so."

Gumi was about to argue but before she could, her two guests had already left for the celler. She looked at the fluid, taking a shaking breath before swallowing it down.

As she had thought, it tasted awful and it was thick like slime. She almost wondered if Luka had purposely created a poison instead because this god awful remedy was killing her! The effects were immediate though as she saw her vision clear and her body temperature go down. She no longer felt she was on a cloud nor was there this ache in her body and unsatiable craving. She lazily picked her body up from her seat before following the two girls down the stairs.

As she reached the bottom she had saw that Luka was already completing the task of removing any offending garments, folding them up and laying them on top of a piece of furniture nearby as she ordered the tealette to lay down atop the table. Luka moved a pail of warm water and cloth to the makeshift bed and began running the rag over her wounds gently so as to not harm her too much as she cleaned the scars and crimson. Miku would flinch every time the cloth touched one of her many cuts, gradually getting used to the pain.

Gumi moved to a cabinet on the opposite wall, making her way around the mess she had accidently made not too long ago and pulling out some basic supplies. She noticed this girl's wounds were shallow, her blood loss would heal itself in time and her fever and cough would easily be cured with some medicine she had lying around somewhere within her abode. Luka stood aside after she finished cleaning the tealette's cuts and scrapes, letting Gumi have her room while she worked just as diligently as she remembered.

The older girl had met the greenette a long time before. It was the first time she had ever visited this city so many years ago, when she wasn't as notorious and had the freedom to wander the streets without having to look constantly back over her shoulder to see if she was being chased. Gumi had been a smart one, though no one really payed her much mind because of her ridiculous ideals of science and theories that opposed common belief. However, Luka found herself intrigued with this new way of looking at things and would as often as she could come visit by this same shop. Though, back then it had a previous owner by the name Lily, Gumi was merely an apprentice and this establishment only sold enchantments and summoning scrolls rather than elixers, star charts or books that spanned over so many different theories about the world they lived in, one that existed without higher power.

Gumi would go from one subject to another, following after Luka as the older girl seemed to flow with an almost infinite wealth of knowledge that Gumi would pry her way into by merely asking about something that piqued her interest. Lily wasn't too fond of questioning their gods and would stick to her faith, disregarding what those two were up to during Luka's visits.

But, her frequent visits to this city grew less and less as it grew harder for Luka to sneak her way in. Gumi always sensed something was wrong with her friend, she would notice the subtle paranoia and constant close observation of her surroundings or her sudden preference to remain indoors rather than walk with her friend like they usually did, stating she was tired. She had never once asked her about it though, she was having to much fun enjoying her time with the pinkette that she had started to ignore it. Luka was another smart mind like herself, the only one she's come across yet and shared her love of learning and when she would come back to Gumi, she would share all kinds of new things she had discovered in her travels. It was the perfect relationship, tied together by their minds. When she would see Luka again was something that the greenette always looked forward to.

It was so great. So perfect until Luka had up and disappeared seemingly from the face of the earth. There was no warning to it. She had tried contacting people Luka had mentioned before, people who knew her, but they had acted as if they didn't know the name. Gumi couldn't understand it. Because Lily had passed on the shop to her, Gumi was tied to the city, obligation serving as her chains as Lily had left her too. It was a month or two after the blonde left that word about the pinkette finally reached her. She never had expected something like it. A charge and heavy bounty was declared for her head. Every kingdom wanted her dead or alive, they gave no reason as to why. Not that people cared, that money was worth turning in a saint it was so good.

And now... After all this time, Luka has come back! She had heard the discourse between city guards about being on the look out for a pink haired girl dressed in black and concealing her face within a cowl, she dismissed it as your ordinary criminal. She hardly expected Luka to arrive later that night, a companion on her arm and a request to repair her friend. Gumi was so over joyed she couldn't help but embrace her lost confidant. But, when there was no mutual warmth from her dear friend, it hurt her more than she thought it would.

Gumi sighed, lathering another laceration with a healing ointment on her unconscious patient, she guessed it was somewhat her fault for groping her as a greeting. But it's true that since the last time they met, Luka really _has _filled out in all the right places. She has always been beautiful - something she had envied her for, but now she looks so much more mature!

Gumi briefly glanced back at Luka who had opted to begin reading while she waited, turning back to her patient a blush grew on the greenette's cheeks.

_Okay, screw mature_, Gumi thought, _she's damn sexy! Wait! What are you thinking you idiot! You are a person of intellect! You have no such interest in those trivial things! Did I touch that aphrodisiac again?_

"Oh, I remember this" said Luka, her voice bringing Gumi out of her musings. "We had worked on this together a long time ago. It was after you had stopped being so sour to me."

"I-I was never sour!" Gumi protested, prompting herself to keep working.

"Oh, really? Who was that girl who mixed up my ingredients in an attempt to sabatoge my formula?" The pinkette questioned rhetorically, smiling teasingly at the girl who blushed a darker shade.

"It was nothing _too_ bad"

"It would have given me food poisoning"

"Well... It's not like I ever let you drink it." she pointed out.

Luka slid the book back into it's shelf, resting her hand on the worn spine, "... How long has it been since Lily left?"

"A couple years." Gumi informed quickly, "It wasn't long before word got out about you."

"You must miss her"

"Sometimes, but I'm still mad at her for giving me this," Gumi gestured around herself, still not taking her eyes of the tealette. "All I wanted to do was what you do. I wanted to travel the world."

"You mean, you feel bitter towards Lily?" Luka was surprised.

"Well, yeah. Me and her never really got along anyway because of our 'different views'"

"That's a lie"

Gumi glanced back at Luka, seeing that seemingly all-knowing smile on her face, "What do you mean?"

Luka crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against the bookshelf as she sighed, "You were always trying to get her attention. You still love her, don't you?"

Gumi whirled around, a look of shock consuming her face as she looked back at the pinkette "W-what!?" She stuttered. How could it have looked that way? Gumi bit her lip, eyeing the floor as her blush refused to dissapate. "I-If anything, the only slight feelings I have ever felt was for-!"

Gumi stopped as Miku's body began writhing upon the table and screams in pain filled the room from her lips as she gripped her neck.

"I-its hurts! It hurts!" she cried, tears beginning to stream down her face.

"What's going on, Gumi?" Luka panicked trying to see what the girl was suddenly clawing fervently at. As she finally managed to subdue the girl's hands which struggled with something at her throat, Luka saw an enchantment traced into a collar encircling her neck. The orange firey lines threatened to turn red with blood as it spread a little further, reaching the tealette's collarbone.

"Luka, where did you find this girl!?" Gumi asked as she moved about the room, rifling through her cuboards and drawers.

"Why, what's wrong?" Luka asked, seeing the smaller girl retrieve a scroll from inside a wooden cabinet. She looked back down to the girl, recognizing it as a bonding spell, a restriction to tie a servant and master together. An image of Gakupo suddenly flashed in her mind, but there was no way that this could be him. This magic is always tied to the one who cast it, meaning that if the caster happened to die that their bond would sever also. Realization struck Luka square in the face. The young king wasn't dead. He still had influence over this girl and any servant attempting to flee their master would mean death as the collar would soon sever their heads from their bodies.

Gumi moved quickly, they had a short time until the enchantment turned red.

"That won't work Gumi." Said Luka as she saw which spell she was attempting to cast. "Bonding spells are of the few strongest restrictions which can not be broken by anyone else but the owner."

"We have to try something! She will die if we don't do-!" Gumi stopped arguing as she saw an amulet fall from Luka's neck.

"T-That!" The smaller girl pointed at the jewel hanging over her friend's chest. "If you put that on her it will destroy the charm." She said quickly. Luka looked down at her emerald talisman before gripping it in her hand protectively, a blush covering her face for some reason.

"I-I can't give _this_ to her!" Luka replied selfishly while backing away from the two of her other companions.

"Luka, don't be stupid! She's going to die!" Gumi berated her, gesturing to the girl whimpering as she tossed and turned.

Luka looked at her and then to the slave. If she gave this to her-

"Luka!" The smaller girl shouted again in disbelief at her old friend's hesitation. The pinkette looked at her newest companion, sadness consuming her as she watched her suffer. She promised this wasn't going to let this be for nothing. But, taking this off would mean being forever seperated from _her. _The one who had given it to her. At the same time though, Luka couldn't stand seeing the tealette in such a state. It was akin to the time she felt this unmistakable pull at her heart when she believed she was dead, as if it were being torn from her chest.

Luka bit her lip, closing her eyes tight, she gripped the amulet tighter, pulled it from her neck in one swift motion and proceeded to present it to Gumi who took the offered jewel, strapping it around the pained girl.

Luka opened her eyes to see her empty hand which once held her talismen. Seeing the gem out of her possession caused a sudden darkness to seep over her vision. Her limbs to fail her and become weak beneath her body. She could hardly make out Gumi rushing to her side before she fell into this black void.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm really hoping for 20 reviews after this chapter in total. Please I hope you help me reach that goal by reviewing.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I'm sorry about this update. I had made it in a rush today because of how long it has been since I've updated. Anyway, I wanted to say thanks to everyone who commented and has began following me and the like. Even though I didn't get 20, I'm still pretty proud. I'd also Like to mention that this really IS

**NEGITORO**

Just so you know. There isn't much going on between them now but, in the next chapter I'll probably put something and then keep it up in chapters after that. Because I love that couple. I'm also planning to come out with a new story after this. It's going to be called, "I'm No Man" or something like that. You are free to guess what it's going to be about. I'd actually like to hear what you have to say.

Without further ado here is chapter 3 :D

* * *

Open My World: My Everything

3

It was so quiet. There was nothing that made a sound. Even the ruffling of the lone tree that sat over head made not a noise. It was the only evidence of life besides the two figures nestled under it's large branches, providing the only shade to exist within whatever realm she was in. If you were to look passed them and that tree, it was emptiness. Just a white atmosphere with no ground nor natural blue ceiling, meaning you couldn't tell which way was up or down.

Her mind was too numb and dazed to question this void that engulfed her. All she minded was the beautiful face hanging above her as Luka layed her head on the woman's lap. Luka was between sleep and consciousness as she stared back at her company. She struggled to lift her frail limb toward that face, tracing her finger along the many features, paying special attention to the beauty's soft lips. So very delicate. So very breath-taking.

So very perfect..

Such inhuman perfection. Her skin so refined, resembling porcelin or perhaps something that couldn't even compare to what she knew. So gorgeous that the likes of man should never look upon her, for it must have been a sin to be in the presence of the goddess. They were so unworthy.

However, even though every single aspect of the being was flawless, Luka couldn't for the life of her remember the person's face. Even the colours of those satiny tresses that draped over her she couldn't remember. The voice had even managed to ellude her memories. She was gazing up at her, but couldn't see her face. The woman was speaking to her, yet she couldn't hear what she had to say as those lithe finger's tangled themselves in Luka's pink locks.

The pinkette continued her exploration of the goddess, caressing her cheek in her calloused palm in a futile attempt to figure out what she looked like. She couldn't feel her. Almost as if the woman wasn't there at all. A figment of her imagination. Was that it? Was this not real?

"No, please," Luka pleaded, beginning to run her own hand through the beauty's hair. "Don't let this be fake. I'm really here in your arms, aren't I?"

Tears must have started to drain down her lifeless sapphires, for the being returned a bittersweet smile, removing her hands reluctantly, trailing them languidly southward. Luka felt the smooth fingers along her jaw, moving further across the long, creamy expanse of her neck. The pinkette let out a breath as the appendage rested on her collarbone. A new weight was left there even as the goddess began withdrawing her hand, but Luka didn't want her to break contact just yet. So, before they could seperate, Luka had put her remaining strength into wrapping her arm that was currently brushing through the silky tresses, around the woman's neck and pulling her down to meet her lips. The pinkette could sense her surprise making her only deepen the kiss, indulging in the euphoric sensations.

The goddess, hesitantly embraced the girl back, taking part in this delicious moment. This was the last time after all. The last time she would ever again be with her knight.

* * *

He tightened his balled fists and grit his teeth as he strode out of the throne room. If his anger were flames, this city would burn, surely. How dare she treat him like that?! He was the only male heir to their kingdom - he should be the one leading their people. It was his right as the true king. How weak they will look, he thought, a girl wearing the crown of Kagamine. It was completely disgraceful. It made it worse that their famous Sword is more loyal to her than to him. It has always been that way. That damned Sonika was merely a peasant when they found her. The scum of the earth, thrown onto the streets by her own parents. Rin had the audacity to break their rule of interacting with the meager and inevitably take the commoner in against their parent's wishes. At the time, you could excuse her because she was merely a child, looking out into the city from their carriage as they went by. By fate, the small girl had happened upon the greenette. Len remembered how she was so stupid as to jump out of their moving transport that had slowed down in the cramped city streets. His sister wandered up to a slightly older, shivering figure in a alley to offer her hand. He had hardly thought their parents would approve to bringing that parasite infested sack of bones into their home. Their father and mother - King and Queen before them had always said to keep their distance from anyone outside palace walls. Even the many servants that attended to them were to be treated as they were. _Slaves._

They weren't chosen, they weren't born of royalty as Rin and Len were, it was obvious God meant for them to be nothing but minions to them. Len hated it. He hated it all. How his own flesh and blood had cast him away to work in the backgrounds while she was the voice, the decider over all. He hated that damn low born even more though. He would make sure once he had his throne back he wouldn't allow any mercy to become of them. Rin was too lost now.

The blonde prince covered himself in more poverty-ridden clothes, they were ragged and torn, but he decided it was better than his ordinary attire. Outside his palace, anyone who were to know it was him would immediately panick. And any hiding out thugs would undoubtedly kill him in cold blood because of what he did to their _precious _black market. Len grimaced at the thought of his royal blood being spilled in his own borders before mounting a lone stallion, leading it toward the city. It was dark making it easier for him to sneak out of Kagamine walls, he was being careful not to alert any guards. If they were to know he was departing, they would definately alert Rin of his absence. She didn't need to know what he was doing. If she was not interested in capturing Megurine, then he could find some people who would be willing. Rin was a fool if she thought she could conquer both Kamui and Shion by herself. Kamui's soldiers were untrustworthy when it came to battle, sure, but Shion had a vast army of veterans, he was a famous tactician in war. People say it was because of his connections with magic that he had never lost a fight. Saying how it was because he could predict the future and tactics of his opponents. Rin thought it was just rumours, that no one so young could achieve such heights as a mage. Even the oldest of mages had difficulty anticipating if it would rain within the next week. To know what your foe was plotting in battle would be a feat indeed. "Impossible", Rin had said.

Len would just love to see her be a victim of the King Shion's prowess, to see her beg for her life to be spared as all her men were dead around her. Just for the opprotunity for her to see her flaws, her mistakes in abandoning him. She doesn't realize he is a valuable piece yet. But when the walls around her crumble and the heat of fire scorches her skin, a blade pointing at her throat and tears streaming down her face at her fallen empire, she will then realize victory was never within her grasp.

His blue eyes shot back and forth around the darkened streets. They were rather empty. A carriage or two would pass him by or a few civilians scouring the night for perhaps a place to indulge in some late night drinking. He picked up his pace, prompting his horse to speed up down the path. It was a couple corners down that he found where he was headed. It was a tavern in the centre of the city, famous for their entertainers which ranged from bards to acrobats, dancers to jugglers and what ever the world had to offer. Travelling performers would often wander into Kagamine walls in their journeys, this kingdom was rather lenient when it came to explorers. Len assumed that would change relatively soon with Rin in the throne. She would most likely close off their palace in favour of privacy, she couldn't risk a spy entering her city after all.

He dismounted his horse, beginning to trudge up to the establishment, a hood over his head. However, most people had no idea what the prince or his sister looked like. They had never left home before, other than the times they would accompany their parents so many years ago, but even than they were restricted to the confines of their transport.

The name of the lodge was "The Old Guard". The building was tall stone with rounded arcs and windows visible only into the second floor and up. There were a few golden banners hanging from the walls displaying the name and an emblem of a man in armour with a lions head, one hand holding a shield. He pondered the choice of design for a moment before entering. The entrance was a double door, two men standing at the sides to open it for him and any others who were opting to celebrate within the tavern.

Len looked around. A large rectangular stage divided the centre of the room into two, balconies layed over head with audiences observing the performance currently going on. Ropes were suspended from the very high ceiling holding rods that two women - dressed in thick ruffles - grabbed onto. They flipped from one to the other with boneless grace as men on the side lines cheered them on. The women's faces were painted in white and only their lips were a vibrant shade of red. Their whole appearence was something new to Len, they reminded him somewhat of jesters. The waitresses were oddly dressed too. He noticed they were adorned in mens clothing, their hair tied tight into high buns, their faces wearing pale shades of make up.

Len took his gaze off the employees and scanned for a likely target. The men here were nothing more than shop owners or honest workers, not the type he was looking for to take on his offer. He pushed his way through the people surrounding the platform, finding himself soon at the bar. No better luck it seemed. He needed someone strong and agile and that could handle a blade. One who wouldn't hesitate when taking a life. Megurine wasn't going to be here for long after all.

"Oi! You stole my money, you ro'en thief!"

The prince quickly looked over to the man yelling in the corner. He wasn't quite tall enough to see over the crowd, but the next thing he heard was a crash and a couple blows being traded.

"D-Damn you!" The men panted seeming out of breath. He groaned as he stood up, eyeing the stranger with a narrowed brow and anger. The girl looked at him arrogantly, a sneer crossing her face. Len managed his way to the front of the mob that spurred the fight on. He saw the "thief" standing before the staggering man. She was tall and slim with an obvious muscle tone apparent in her arms and legs. A black eye patch concealed her right eye, the other one a fierce blue as it eyed her opponent. Her hair was long and black, tied into two pigtails reaching the tops of her bare shoulders, a part of her hair was blue matching her eye. A haughty smile stretched her lips as she held an arm up, indicating to her companions she didn't need their assistance when dealing with this intoxicated man.

"So? What if I did steal yer' money? Not like you 'ad much" She stated, watching the man wipe the blood from his busted lip that she had dealed him not five mintues before.

"You an' yer damned bandit friends o'tta get lost. The watch guards 're goin' to 'ave yer necks".

The tall girl spat at the man as she hoisted her large pike over her shoulder at an attempt at intimidation. When he stood resolutely before the tall woman, Len thought that he may be too drunk to even know where he was because he was obviously too drunk to know he was trying to pick a fight with a whole band of cut throats.

"Master Ruko," one of her friends began "We gotta leave. He might be right to be wary of the guards"

"I'd sooner kiss a pig than let 'em ol' guards catch me" the girl named Ruko sneered.

"Never the less, we have... "buisness" to attend to" he said as he took one step toward the exit on the opposite side of the building. Ruko lifted her rough finger tips to her eye-patch with a serious expression. She huffed an annoyed breath before flashing her foe with a menacing glare, turning away.

"Oi! Whad'you think yer doin-"

Crack.

The leader of the bandits had had enough of his rants and with such speed that their audience could hardly follow, she mercilessly struck his jaw with a right hook, hearing a satisfying snap as she broke the bones of the left side of his face. The punch forced his body into the far wall as he collasped to the floor. Whirling back around as if nothing had happened, she joined her seven companions heading out of the building.

Len stared wide eyed at the man, probably dead on the ground. Some of the employees had heaved the unconscious body off of the floor and started carrying him toward the back door, others staying behind to clean the mess. The prince quickly looked to the back of the black-haired girl, a spear over one shoulder as she disapeared behind the double doors. It was as if the sound of it creaking shut once again stirred Len from his dazed and slightly awed state of mind because he found his body starting to run after her without him hardly realizing it. He nearly hit the floor as he tripped over his feet, fumbling with his hands to hold his coin purse securely within in his grasp as he dashed out onto the dark streets. He looked right and left, seeing the group marching straight down the path. They didn't seem to care at all that they were wielding lethal weaponry in front of anyone to see. Neither did the guards who passed them as they failed to spare them a second glance. Instead they maintained safe distance from the band.

Len started running again toward them, he raised one arm up in an almost waving motion as he beckoned them, "Excuse me!"

They ignored his rather loud call and continued down the road. He frowned and sped up, opening his mouth again to address them but the words got caught in his throat as he was about a foot away from the tall girl. In a flash she had swung the blunt end of her pike into his chest, knocking him onto his back, his hood coming off as he hit his head on the ground and she pinned him to the ground with her weapon. Her eye seemed to glow within the shadowed night, shining with the stars and moon as he looked up at her, unconsciously grabbing the long spear in his hands. He winced when he felt her put more pressure onto his chest, making it almost hard for him to breath. Her arrogant demeanor has changed dramatically from when she was in the lodge, her face now was serious, eyeing the boy as if he was prey. She looked hungry for blood, she wanted to kill something. So badly. Why not this boy? He was defenceless. Wandering the streets like a lost puppy without his owner. Surely he should have known not to walk up to a group of armed strangers at such a late hour. It was his own fault if she couldn't resist the tempting opprotunity.

"U-Um.. I-I need your talent" Len muttered, loud enough for only the girl to hear. This brought about a strange look to be directed at the blonde boy.

"Whad'you mean?" asked Ruko. She was suddenly curious with this boy, he for some reason hasn't began begging for his life, but instead has had the gull to ask for something from her.

"I need your help in tracking down someone for me. I need the person brought to me." Len tightened his grasp on the weapon as the bandit applied more pressure.

"I'm no delivery boy, an' what makes you think I'd do anything for a runt like you?"

"I will pay you. Just hear me out, the person I'm looking for is Megurine Luka" Len explained hastily. The spear suddenly was removed from his chest, the girl nodded toward him, her friends picking him up by his rags and pinning his arms behind his back as she turned from him for a moment. She traced her fingers along her eye-patch once again, mumbing to herself.

"Luka... Luka... Luka..." She repeated over and over quietly. Ruko removed the eye-patch and cast her gaze around languidly. "Ahh... I finally see. Luka... is the person you want." She said slowly. When she turned back around to meet Len's gaze, he noticed her other eye was red, contrasting the other beautifully. She stepped toward him, pike in hand and pointed the sharp blade to his face as she closed in, looking at him with that same blood thirsty stare.

"She's still 'ere it seems. I can see 'er..." Len was cowed slightly under her gaze as she retreated from him. "Whada delicious prey she will be"

"Master Ruko, we have other things to-" a man holding Len started.

"It's fine. This'll be even better. This 'ere prince will pay handsomely." She smiled.

"Prince? I don't know what you're talking about." Len stated defensively.

"I'm no fool Kagamine. Don't test me" said Ruko irritatedly.

"How did you know?" Len asked with an edge as if he was accusing her of something.

"This eye see's all. As I said, without that eye-patch, I know where yer culprit is" said Ruko as she began walking away from him. The men let go of the blonde boy and followed after their leader. Len wondered what the hell was up with this girl. One moment she's all haughty and playful, the next she's serious and wrathful and even after that she's acting like some psycho. He gulped down the burden that had grown in his throat as he trailed behind the unstable girl.

* * *

Miku had released her tome from it's bindings sometime after she and Gumi settled Luka in the up stairs room of her shop. The room was relatively tidy compared to what disaster resided in the lower floor. There were still a number of books piled up near the lone full bookshelf against the wall, positioned side by side with the only window besides the one that hung above the bed. Another desk was placed in the opposite corner to the bed which only had a couple notes and an open book placed on top of it. A mirror-dresser-desk thing was placed at the foot of the worn mattress, a few random objects littering it's surface. At the bed side was a low dresser and beside that was a table homing a variety of dieing plants.

The tealette shifted in her spot on the desk chair, flipping through another page of her book as she sighed. The stories she loved so much were not enough to take her mind off of what was going on. Ordinarily she would easily be swept away from all of her worries if she skimmed these pages, believing in such a fantastic world, but every now and then her hands strayed from the pages to unconsciously rub her neck where the enchantment had claimed her. She continued to toy with the emerald that now hung over her chest that had very well saved her. It had this strange familiar aura about it that she couldn't quite place. It was cold yet comforting, familiar yet alien, powerful yet subtle, and close to her yet felt like it might as well be on the other side of the earth.

Even though it had saved her life, Miku still felt guilt seep into her thoughts about what happened to Luka. She didn't know what this gem meant to her, but Gumi had said Luka would be fine with some rest. There was nothing physically wrong with the older girl, Gumi couldn't quite explain what was happening.

Miku had just woken up to the greenette frantically sifting through all of her available remedies and other spells, she would run from one side of the room to the other, wreaking havoc as she did, being careful around her long time friend who was unconscious on the floor. Miku had volunteered to look after her as Gumi worked down stairs saying she had something to take care of.

Another hour with the pinkette fast asleep was approaching and it only continued to unsettle her. The tealette was tempted to remove the charm and put it back around Luka's neck in hopes for her to suddenly awaken. But she knew that she could never take it off. Not as long as the young king still lived and had this restriction bonding them together as master and servant.

Setting the book down, Miku struggled to get more comfortable in her spot. She supposed she should rest. She hasn't been able to sleep properly with all that had been going on.

* * *

As Luka reopened her eyes, she noticed she was still laying down, but only now in a warm bed and without that woman in her arms. On impulse, Luka brushed her lips with her finger tips, the sweetness and sensation already gone or had never happened in the first place. She moved her hand down toward her neck where the person had left something, only to find nothing there.

The scent of stew and fresh bread, perhaps even some other sweet pastries filled the room and the sound of movement was heard below her. She examined the room she occupied vaguely, taking more time with the different small crevaces in the ceiling more than anything else. She must have fallen asleep sometime during the night. She was famished and dehydrated now and reluctantly pulled her body up, she groaned as her body ached. What a horrible bed, she felt some pity towards the green-haired girl.

She glanced around until her eyes met with those of teal that had looked up from the black printed letters in her book, Luka froze immediately.

"Luka! You're awake" Miku exclaimed as she saw the pinkette sit up. Picking up the tray of food on the desk top beside her, Miku walked over to the other girl. Luka blushed for some odd reason as she saw the amulet securely fastened around the smaller girl's slim neck, again bringing her own hand up to where it once was.

"Y-yes, I'm awake. Um... W-where's Gumi?" stuttered Luka as she looked away. Miku didn't notice her off behaviour as she sat right next to the girl, the food on her lap. Before she answered, the tealette offered the tray to Luka who took it timidly, being careful not to touch the other girl.

"She is down stairs. She said she had something to take care of, she doesn't know your awake yet though." This confused Luka who finally looked back at Miku with a questioning gaze. Something to do? The pinkette glanced out the window, it was dark, maybe still a few hours until sun rise from what she could tell.

_Wait- _Luka thought, looking at the sky in disbelief. It was this late? She gave the food back to the tealette before standing up and making her way toward the door hastily, not bothering to explain herself to the baffled girl. Luka rushed down the stairs, finding Gumi who was tinkering with a few equations on paper, casting her gaze back to the star charts every now and then.

"Gumi," Luka addressed sternly, though this didn't faze the girl who looked back up at her from her notes and smiled excitedly.

"Luka! You're finally up! How are you feeling-"

"What time is it?" Interuppted Luka in slight panick.

"A few hours passed midnight?" The greenette guessed as she put a finger to her chin.

Luka's eyes widened at the information, she made her way to the table Gumi was working at, placing her hands firmly on the table to steady herself, "Did a boy named Leon stop by?"

"I didn't get his name, but a boy _was _here"

"D-did he give you anything?" asked Luka hurriedly.

Gumi stroked her chin, a mischevious smile on her lips, "Don't worry," she said going behind her store's counter, lifting a tattered brown sack tied at the top by rope out from behind for the pinkette to see. "Your possessions are all right here. It was just like you to use that old code".

Luka sighed in relief as she walked up to Gumi, retrieving her items she had discarded after she saved Miku. Luka was kind of surprised the greenette had rememberd that old "code". It consisted of a simple riddle she has shared with Gumi from one of her travels. It was, "Sadness hides in the shadow of stars. Sadness hides in the shadow of the moon" She had actually heard it in a tale about a beautiful woman living on the moon. It had detailed about how this woman hid her tears in the sky, disguising them as stars so no one knew she was ever crying. She told this story to Leon too. He was a boy she had met in the city when she was looking for a place to eat, somewhere that looked like it would satisfy her childhood craving of sweets and sugary goods. He worked at a bakery located not too far from here. She would also purchase carrot cake from that shop for when she visited Gumi so long ago. He was nice and would sometimes allow her to have an extra treat for no fee which she always was grateful for. She hadn't seen him since the last time she came her, she was glad he asked no questions when she intruded upon him out of the blue, asking for a favour and a few of his clothes.

"What's wrong Luka?" asked Miku as she entered the room. The pinkette was stirred from her musings and quickly distracted herself from Miku by sifting through the bag, pulling out her black cloak and hood along with her sword and sheath.

"I just had to gather my belongings" said Luka, a nervous smile on her face. It was too soon to act casual around her still. Perhaps it would only take until later in the day, Luka assured herself. As she was putting it back inside the roughened sack, a note tumbled from her boot and onto the floor. She bent down, picking it up carefully and bringing it to her face to read.

_Luka,_

_I have no idea why you had suddenly showed up again after so long and to my bakery of all places. However, I know what has become of the girl who I had helped all those years ago. It's hard not to when your face is plastered on nearly every available surface. A girl charged with murder, thievery, mutiny and what ever else a person can be accused of. But, even so, I still trust you know what you are doing. If you didn't, I'm sure you would have been captured a long time ago. I know that you must have good, pure intentions for what you did. It's because of this belief that I am helping you now. I advise you to never come here again. Not until it's safe. That girl, I think you mentioned that her name was Gumi, I have seen her often wandering the streets looking for someone. Customers at my store have said others were getting suspicious of her. It may be soon that they figure out that she had something to do with you. That could only go one way for the girl you realize. So, I promise to take you as far as the city Galla. Tell that girl to act as if she doesn't know your name. It will for the best, you'll see. I'll be there a few hours before sunrise so I can be back at the bakery before anyone notices I'm gone. Be ready._

_Sincerely, _

_ Leon_

Luak frowned at the letter, slipping it into her pocket and trudging up the stairs. "I'm going to change. Miku gather anything you may need, we will be leaving shortly"

"W-wait, Luka! You're leaving so soon?" asked Gumi with a twinge of disappointment. It was true that the pinkette has only been there for a few hours and who knew how long it would be until she would be back. Maybe never...

For some unexplainable reason, she felt almost used. They were friends right? Yet it was like Luka had just flaunted something special in front of her face that she couldn't have and wouldn't be allowed to have. Coming here with that girl and a request to fix her and then up and leaving. Isn't that using her? Just a bit? Gumi had this shop, but it's not like she wanted this. She wanted a life outside like Luka. Maybe even with her. Travelling the rolling hills and setting out on quests, just the two of them. They could chart stars and constellations as they studied the sky together. Or even study and explore old ruins that people hadn't entered in centuries. They could make up ridiculous theories about how the universe worked and how it was created, only to be scolded by Lily as she would always do. They would surely find her again, and things would be just like how they used to be. She wanted it back. She wanted everything back. Gumi didn't want to be abandoned again.

But, even though this is what she wanted and she was upset that she couldn't be with the pinkette anymore, the greenette would never show it. She refused to sound so needy in front of her old friend. Luka was like a bird, free to roam the skies seeing new lands. But Gumi, she was like a tree, rooted firmly in place where she could only see the same things and go through the same routines that left her empty. Wishing she could join her friend in that beautiful blue atmosphere.

Luka continued up the stairs, not answering the other girl's question. She didn't want to leave Gumi like that, but as Leon had said it was for the best. She couldn't string the smaller girl along in all of her crimes. But, she promised herself she would come back again, bearing some of her favorite carrot cake as she once again knocked on this door.

Luka finished slipping on her worn boots, sliding her blade along her hip into it's holster. She sighed as she wandered up to the mirror at the foot of the bed, examining her reflection. She never looked at it often, reminded to much of the wanted picture on the streets. She sometimes liked to pretend she was free, but at the same time in the back of her mind she knew she wasn't. Luka thought back to the dream, with that woman under the tree. Was this her intention? To cut off her wings so she couldn't fly? She shook the thought from her head. There was no way that she would do that to her. This will lead to something good eventually. Maybe something already has happened. The pinkette dismissed the thought of Miku that had appeared in her mind, wearing her emerald. Luka frowned, that better not of been her doing. Were the gods truly just screwing with her?

The older girl was abruptly yanked away from her ponderings as the window to the upper floor was smashed by a bottle being thrown through it. A rag was stuffed in the top and lit on fire and as it hit the ground the fire spread where the alcohol inside had spilled.

The next thing she heard was the front entrance being pounded on by enemies outside.

"Luka!" Gumi shouted from down stairs. The pinkette hastily smothered the small fire with the blankets available from the bed before rushing to her friends' aid. She saw Miku helping Gumi barricade the door as people on the outside were battering against it with tremendous force. Luka helped the greenette push one of her book shelves onto the heap of other furniture before telling her to gather anything that was useful.

"Gumi, grab any useful potions and other items quickly!" ordered Luka who readied her sword. Gumi nodded to her before running toward the back of the room. Miku who had been fairly quiet in shock looked to Luka for some explanation which the pinkette could not provide. She assumed it had to be palace guards on the hunt for her head.

Outside Ruko stood with her pike over her shoulder with a bored expression and eye-patch placed back over her eye as her men continued assaulting the humble establishment. Len stood anxiously beside her, they shouldn't be there for long, Rin's soldiers would undoubtedly show up sooner or later.

"How long it this going to take?" Len asked impatiently.

Ruko looked at him with annoyance, "Sit still prim rat. If you want it done yer way, go a 'ead"

Len grumbled something under his breath and crossed his arms like an imudent child. This may be all he had, but it didn't mean he was grateful. In fact it was the complete opposite. Once he had his hands on the infamous Megurine, his no good sister was next.

* * *

**A/N: **I didn't know how to end the chapter so sorry about that. And, again I'd like to hear your thoughts on what you think my new story is gonna be about or if you'd be interested. I'll update soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Open My World: Blame

4

Luka stiffened, gripping her sword with a addtional strength as the barrier they had precariously piled began to weaken. She looked at the tealette trembling beside her, and then to Gumi stumbling around as she raced for anything of value to take with her. They would be leaving shortly, surely Leon was still coming, he had said so. All Luka had to do was wait until then.

Luka winced inwardly for each loud bash the door was enduring as her pursuers continued to thrash against it. Because of her, Gumi's home would become a battle ground very soon. Luka tried remaining calm, but she felt her arm waver and her hands shake involuntarily as she faced her impending battle. Each loud crash sending courses of adrenaline shooting down her spine. She breatherd slowly, calming her racing heart and to clear her head of the images invading her mind of what could possibly become the outcome of this conflict. She worried for her friends safety. She didn't know if she could protect them and herself as she fought. Luka needed them to get to somewhere safe and out of danger, maybe then even if she couldn't make it then they could escape for Galla.

The pinkette shouted over her shoulder to Gumi, "You and Miku have to go up stairs! Lock the door and don't open it no matter what"

"Are you crazy?! Do you plan on taking all of them on by yourself?!" Gumi protested as she stopped gathering items to look at the older girl.

Luka frowned, this wasn't the time to argue, "Gumi! I said to get out of the way and hide!" said Luka sternly, turning around to glare at the girl's stubborness. She already knew of the risk, she didn't need to be reminded of the odds either. But, if they were only city guards, Luka was confident that she could stand her ground.

Placing her gaze back on the weakening frame, she stood more rigidly. Miku took initiative and before Gumi could argue further she grabbed her by the sleeve and pulled her from her spot behind the counter and up the tall stairs leading to the greenette's bedroom. Following what Luka had told them, she made sure to bolt the door shut and wait.

Ruko scowled at the door, becoming as impatient as the small blonde beside her. Standing up she walked over to her other companions, pushing them aside so she could have access to the wooden portal.

"Tch, you useless morons. Stand aside and wait out 'ere, I'm goin' in" said Ruko, ripping her rough patch away to reveal her eye spewing crimson flame. Her face began to contort into a beastly form, fangs beginning to protrude from her mouth as she took a heavy step toward the barricade that seemed to shake the ground before she droned out a feral howl. Len stumbled back from the force of her shout that shattered the blockade, so intense that it shook him to his core and he felt anything within range of it vibrate. Her lithe limbs began fading into a shadow as black as a void, but as she entered her form became more human.

She picked back up her spear which she had stabbed into the ground and trudged through the open pathway. She looked around, a fire had started because of one of the candles being flung to the floor. It spread quickly as flammable liquids were spilled. The flame surrounded the pinkette who pushed aside a piece of furniture that had fallen on her in the destruction of the entry way.

Ruko smirked as she saw her opponent wearily stand and poise herself for battle. Her mouth watered at the smell of iron from the blood dripping down the side of Luka's pale face. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until now.

The tall girl unconsciously licked her lips at the thought of devouring her. She didn't spare a second before charging into battle with the pinkette and quickly swung her pike around, meeting the other girl's with a clear ringing sound. She bore down, trying to force Luka's sword to floor. Her confident smirk faded slightly as she found she couldn't force her hand.

The muscles in her arms were screaming, but Luka grit her teeth and held her ground. She was strong, but didn't have a strategy besides flailing her weapon around wildly in an attempt to hit. This may have worked with someone much weaker, but this will only work to the pinkette's advantage.

Luka glanced up at her enemy, meeting her menacing glare. Her teeth were sharp and saliva threatened to spill from her open mouth as she panted lightly. Ruko broke away and circled the girl, being careful around the mess she had created.

"Did you know you smell delicious?" said Ruko as she smiled sweetly.

Luka didn't bother to waste her breath with a reply, standing up straighter with one hand on the blade. She was waiting for the movement of the girl's torso that would indicate her next move.

Ruko whipped her spear down and in, easy enough for Luka to strike the blade away and slide her own toward the feral girl's chest. The girl jumped back quickly making Luka retreat before she lost her balance.

Ruko scoffed, "Whada poor advance"

Luka smiled crookedly, "It almost worked" she said almost teasingly as she winked at her.

This angered the other girl, exactly what Luka wanted it to do as the tall girl lunged back in with fierce velocity as she scanned for a failure to defend one of her attacks. Luka parried her blows, looking for an opening of her own to somehow knock the weapon from her grasp. Blood trickled down her forehead, making her nervous - what if it got in her eyes?

Stepping back away from eachother, Luka was the first to lunge back in from the side and front in straightforward strike. Ruko met her blade with her own again, locking their weapons together, their shoulders barely grazing the other. The tall girl put her weight on her spear again, trying to make Luka collaspe to her knees, but the pinkette broke away only to be pounced on again by her opponent. Their weapons met in a flurry of strikes, the clashing resonating through the burning room and through their arms.

They connected again, Ruko taking this chance to stomp on the other's foot, surprising her as the bandit knocked her to the floor. Luka got a glimspe of the girl's toothy grin as she raised her lance above her head. The pinkette rolled out of the way, the blade-point chipped the hard wood an inch from her head. She jumped up but wasn't quick enough as the blunt end of her spear struck her side. smacking her ribs and making her gasp for air.

Luka swung at her side, slicing up the length of her arm and painting her sword in a pretty scarlet.

Len hurried up to one of the men standing aimlessly outside who was watching the battle quietly. Narrowing his brow into a scowl he addressed the second in command, "What do you think you are doing!? Go and subdue her!" he ordered angrily.

"Tis not our battle to interfere with. Master Ruko 'ad commanded us to wait 'ere, an' until new orders are given by 'er, 'ere we shall remain." The man answered in a low voice.

"I don't care what that damned wench says! I command you to arrest her-"

The gruff man seized the young boy by the front of his shirt, pulling him nearly off his feet with one arm as he glared at him, "I advise you to shut ye're annoying lit'le trap up before my patience grows weary" he warned, throwing the boy onto the road.

The prince looked back up at the back of the man, tears of frustration in his eyes. He will make sure to dispose of them too after their done.

The only sound in the room was the crackling of wood on fire, the padding of their feet and Ruko's heavy breathing. The humidity was beginning to accumulate as Luka felt blood and sweat form on her brow.

Spotting her window of opprotunity, she lunged at it desperately - Ruko stumbling back. The pinkette hastily tried to wipe away anything on her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. She wasn't quick enough.

The bandit leader growled, darting forward rapidly as Luka stepped back too slowly, the tip of the other's blade digging deep into her sword arm below her elbow.

As she felt the sharp edge sink in, Luka cursed her bad timing under her breath. Painfully and hastily, she transferred her rapier to her other hand, blood seeping through her cloak on the right side. Ruko smiled cockily at her victory, viciously meeting her blade, the collsion creating sparks. Instantly Luka pulled away, thrusting again as Ruko did.

Even with being able to wield a sword in both hands, the comfort of using her right was always preffered. She couldn't navigate her opposite arm's movements as accurately, but she was still strong and agile.

Her injured appendage ached with that horrible wound, she could feel her heartbeat throb within the bloodied laceration.

Luka noticed her enemy's eye that was once a beautiful blue now a fierce scarlet that shone brighter in the light of the fire. It was becoming impossible to fight within the shops confines, the flames had spread to the rest of the room rapidly, leaving the two opponents to have to close in so as to avoid being burned. It made Luka uneasy being so close, she liked distance and time to think about her moves. She shifted her foot to steady herself on some uneven ground, circling with the other girl. Luka decided she would have to finish this quickly if she wanted to escape in time. She brought up her sword instantly, intercepting another blow. Her lone arm buckled slightly, but held on.

Guards moved toward their assigned post near the marketsquare. People in neaby buildings had evacuted for fear of the battle occuring within Doctrina Ars. The howl had disrupted many of those asleep and it lead to soldiers being rushed to the source of the commotion. Next a fire had been reported by a passing courier. This wasn't looking good.

The band of cut-throats looked to the streets that filled with the sound of incoming footsteps sounding as if there was a large group charging in. They readied their weapons as they saw guards marching toward them. The band lunged into battle with them, successfully standing their ground as they protrected their master fighting inside the burning building. Men screamed into the vacant roads, some in ferocious battle cries or in agony at being cut down.

Len retreated from the scene when battle began, heading back for the palace in fear of being next of the casualties. He was far up the street as he saw a carriage pass by in a rush, assuming it was a running away peasant he dismissed it. However, the one piloting the transport was instead making his way toward the battle field, going around back and circling around to the side where the fighting was a safe distance away. He parked below one of the windows, looking up and brushing dirty blonde locks from his eyes and sweat from his face.

This chaos had to be the work of Luka, he thought, frowning at what has become of the establishment. He stared up at the clear glass, a face entering it and meeting his gaze. He signalled to the green-haired girl with a wave of his hand.

Gumi looked down at the carriage with some relief, turning to the tealette, "Miku, tie the rope up to the bed and climb down. I'm going to get Luka" said Gumi who handed her the bag of items she had fetched earlier.

Miku did as she said obediently, not feeling stubborn enough to question her method of rescue even though she didn't find that it the smartest of battle plans.

She knotted one end of the sturdy rope, to the metal frame of the bed before opening the window and tossing the other end down. Leon catching it and tugging it to make sure it was secure. He caught the bag that had been sent to him in a hurry too, placing it in the back of his open coach (It was more of a large wagon than anything else). Watching as the tealette clambered down agilly, landing next to him.

Gumi unblocked the up-stairs door, opening it to feel the heat of down-stairs. She held an arm over her face, snuggling her nose and mouth into the cloth of her sleeve for some measly protection of the smoke. Her eyes watered and she squinted to see past her welling tears. She fished for a potion in her coat, pulling it out as she saw Luka and the bandit below.

Luka's blade collided with Ruko's in a crash. Pulling away, the pinkette mercilessly struck again and again, feeling her opponent beginning to lose her balance as she struggled to step over any offending broken furniture. The bandit leader blocked clumsily, falling back as Luka bore in on her. Luka never stopped moving, she kept swinging and looking for an avaible opening. Just a bit more and-

Ruko howled as shards of the vial stuck in her flesh, the fluid inside conjuring flames and she shrunk back. Luka looked at her with wide eyes wondering what had happened before hearing Gumi call out to her.

"Luka! Hurry up this way!" Gumi pointed toward the door as she smothered her face back into her arm. Luka didn't spare her foe another glance as she manoeuvered around the wreckage, narrowingly jumping over the fire seperating her from the stairs.

Ruko saw her retreating and she howled out, ignoring the pain of her burning skin as her face contorted once again. She took her lance in her mouth and bounded toward the door on all fours as it closed on her face. She clawed fervantly on it, putting enough of her weight on it for it to start to crack. Her body now resembled more of a wolf than it had when she fought Luka and she had grown a lot bigger. Just as before, her figure was obscured in shadow almost as if a mist or a fog had engulfed her. The door was torn down in no time and she saw the smaller girl leaving through the window.

Luka turned back to her sword in hand, looking at the savage beast. Ruko bolted toward her and pounced. Luka tried raising her sword to defend herself, but it was no use as the other girl had tackled her through the window. It seemed like forever that they soared through the air, though it couldn't have been more than a few seconds before Luka's back crashed upon the wooden floor of the wagon, the wind being knocked from her lungs. She gasped for breath, glad that she had time to recover as Ruko needed time too.

Leon set off in a hurry even with the beast still in his transport. They rushed by the conflict going on in front of the building as the other bandits looked at them. Fleeing the battle, the cut-throats set off on all fours, taking on the form of a shadow as their leader had. Their red eyes shone through the black mist and the heads of wolves would sprout out every now and then as they howled like a pack of bloodhounds on the hunt. Ruko couldn't bite Luka as her mouth was busy clutching her weapon, she settled for trying to rake her claws over her face. Luka felt the beast's weight that was still on top of her from the fall, she struggled to hold back the girl's arm's which gripped her hands. She was fighting a losing battle at the moment, she was too strong, in a few seconds she would be torn to shreds.

Before Ruko could even dig into that pale porcelin flesh she felt herself lose her balance as Miku finally snapped out of her shocked state and knocked her off Luka. The carriage hit a large pot-hole and caused Ruko to roll from the wagon and onto the dirt road.

The bandit leader snarled as she saw the sun begin to light up the other side of the mountain. In one last desperate attempt to kill the pinkette, she picked the lance from her mouth, returning to a somewhat more normal form before throwing it at her. The sharp point pieced the wind and flew directly for the girl. Luka narrowly dodged the spear, it missed her and stuck itself within the wood of the coach and into there possession.

Ruko completely stopped what she was doing as she saw her precious weapon ride away. Her followers who had finally caught up with her, morphed back as the sun shone upon them. Ruko's figure became human again, her face displaying a look of pure loss and defeat. It was gone. Her lance was no longer with her. The second command noticed her expression and put a hand on her shoulder to somehow comfort her. She didn't care for it. Continueing to stare at the empty road ahead.

* * *

Daybreak was upon them as Rin dragged her feet toward her throne. She lazily stared at the passing patterns under her steps, watching to gold and red intwine in the woven textures. She was deep in thought at the moment. Thinking about Len's absence from the palace for all of the night after she had dismissed him from rule. She wasn't worried, more frustrated with his childish behaviour. Because he didn't get his way he thought that he would if he played Jack and moped around. She wasn't going to act like a father or mother to him, she didn't want to deal with a child throwing a tantrum. If he wanted to wander the murderous streets at ridiculous hours, then he was more than allowed to whenever he wished. As long as he didn't disrupt her city, she didn't care about what he did.

The chaos that had insued so early this morning bothered her however. The idea that her brother had anything to do with it was highly probable. In that instance she would indeed have to punish him, to show him his place under her boot. And if he did not heed any warnings she may give him, then she may have to resort to more drastic measures. The jail inside the palace was usually only used for traitorous nobles, those accused of mutiny, thievery or anything else that would effect her power. So she supposed it would be suitable for a pretentious and spoiled prince.

Rin glanced up to the rest of the room, noticing a certain absence she actually welcomed. Sonika wasn't present and it was ordinary for her to be up half an hour before the blonde had woken up. Taking a detour from her path toward her throne, she turned right toward the side doors reserved for entrance of her maids going in and out of the throneroom.

Pushing open the tall double doors, she treaded lightly down the empty corridor. She was headed for the east wing where the servants quarters were kept. Even though Rin had insisted on Sonika moving into one of the master bedrooms which were just as lavish as the ones she and her brother stayed in, the Sword had refused the offer with the simple request she be placed in the east wing. The greenette was stubborn in her choice of residence so it didn't take long for Rin to surrender to her wishes.

Why Rin had such a say against it was because those rooms were much poorer compared to what the Kagamines had lived in. Rin believed her prized Sword should live just as nicely as she did. But, Sonika was odd. When people had said they never detected anything inside the stoic girl's expression, Rin had always been able to sense her emotions. Only her thoughts seemed to ellude her understanding. Rin noticed after a while that the older girl was always sad. Not this type of depression that brought about tears, but instead it was a kind of sadness that ate away at her inside. It was as if the girl never felt worthy of anything she had. The girl had always seemed to almost feel guilty for something she never did. She would never accept gifts that Rin tried to give her. Nor would she let Rin pay her back for something that she got her.

It wasn't as complicated when they had first met. Though, that may have been because the offer of food and a warm place to stay was too tempting to let go for the starving girl. After saving her life, Sonika had grown this protectiveness over the young queen. The same way Rin felt the need to take care of her. Her parents and brother never understood the relationship and would scold her for spending to much time with the orphaned girl. It was when Rin suggested that Sonika become her personal guard that this protectiveness Sonika felt was cemented into an actual duty as she was dubbed the famous Sword of Kagamine and took oath to protecting the only daughter of this kingdom. Rin smiled at the memory, it was one of the first times she had seen the older girl so happy, even though Sonika never smiled before she could feel that she was proud.

She made a one final turn down another hall. The walls were cold, grey stone here and rough at the touch. Rin stopped at the third door down, being courteous enough to knock, asking for permission to enter. She waited ten seconds before knocking again when she heard no response. When there was still nothing from behind the door that indicated anyone was even in there, Rin cracked the door open.

The small windows that sat high on the wall were hidden behind heavy tattered, blue curtains. There was no light inside the small room, nothing to suggest what time is was either. There was a single carpet on the floor beside the bed and a dresser pressed up against the other wall, nearly empty as Sonika had prefered. Rin didn't spare much time on examining the interior as she saw the famed sword at the wall, collasped upon the floor and moving her forehead to strike it against the wall again and again in slow movements. Red claimed the wall as it seems she had actually drew blood from her inessant punishment. The young queen rushed to her side, placing both hands on her shoulders and whirling her around to make her stop. Those glazed over green orbs came into focus as she was pulled from her thoughts at the feeling of another person beside her. She looked up and met Rin's concerned and somewhat frightened stare.

"Stop what you're doing" said Rin almost pleadingly in no more than a whisper.

Sonika didn't want to. She had failed in capturing Megurine, she needed to be punished - anything to make her know she was wrong! She can't have her failure being excused so easily.

"... I failed" Sonika finally said after a strained silence.

Rin looked at her in disbelief. What was she talking about? She's never failed her, not once.

"That's not true" Rin said determinely "That's never happened. Never."

Sonika didn't reply and began looking out into space and passed Rin. However, this only aggravated the blond. She wanted to be reprimanded? Is that what it would take to snap her out of this ridiculous state? Rin grit her teeth, taking a hand off the older girl's shoulder and bringing it back down across her face. The slap echoed in the room as both of them tried to process what had happened. Sonika was more astonished than Rin as the blonde was the first to speak in a frustrated voice.

"If that is what you wanted than there, you got it, Idiot! But, I don't recall ever giving you orders to arrest Megurine. If I had never given you orders than there is no way you could have failed me, right?!"

"... Mistress..?" Sonika murmured, looking at her with widened eyes.

Rin placed both her hands on either side of the girl's face and softened her expression, "Sonika, you are _my_ sword. You don't need to bow your head to anyone else. As my protector, you will only act on my commands and only fail if the order is given by me. Do you understand?"

Sonika didn't know what to think. For some reason she couldn't hold the others stare. Those blue orbs were so beautiful to her, nothing could even begin to compare. She felt so unworthy of having her so close that she wanted to pull away, but she knew the girl wouldn't let her. She was frustrated, she didn't need this.

Why did this girl continue to act so kind? The famous Sword felt herself struggle under the weight of a current of mixed emotions. She felt happy, sad, grateful, frustrated, confused and a strong sense of admiration for the girl.

Before she knew it, she crumbled in Rin's arms. Her tears came as her body shook with sobs, her hands grabbing needily onto Rin's dress as she smothered her face into the girl's stomache and wept. Rin set her arms loosely around the figure collasped at her feet, petting the long hair that hung over her heaving shoulders. She whispered sweet nothings to the girl as they stayed that way, Sonika breaking down in front of her.

"I-I promise, I won't ever fail! M-my Mistress... My queen... My goddess!" She sobbed, wrapping her arms tightly around the younger girl's waist in order to bring her closer.

"Shh... It's alright Sonika, I understand..."

* * *

The ride was agonizing. Luka refused to look up from her close observation of the floor, sitting rigidly with a distant demeanor. Gumi had taken the time to stitch her up, but even after that they sat spaced out in the wooden caravan. Leon refused to even so much as look at Luka. She had tried initiating a conversation with him, mostly to state her thanks to the man, but he didn't budge. So she instead settled for sitting quietly in the background, feeling guilty for how things turned out. Deep down Luka should have known that something like this would take place. It was only a matter of time before someone came after her, especially after her appearence in Scale Hide Burrow. Luka couldn't feel worse about what happened to Gumi's shop. Everything she had worked for was gone in mere hours and now she can't even return to her home city. Luka had come out of nowhere and disrupted her peaceful life that was far away from danger and death. Sweeping her into a life that involved forever hiding out, unable to settle down as she had when she was in Kagamine walls. Never feeling safe and secure. Luka knew all of this already. She's known this lifestyle since she was so much younger. She had already convinced herself she could live like this, but this is all so new to Gumi. And even though she had said she wanted a life like hers, she was definately mistaken when she said that. Who would want to live like a fugutive?

Luka was stirred from her thoughts as the horses slowed to a stop. She looked up from her feet and up the road and the trees that surrounded them. It was so green. The sun was warm and shining brightly high above her, there was no snow to be seen. Birds chirped in the distance, the forest alive and awake. Luka knew this place had a special enchantment to keep winter at bay, but she had completely forgot about it after so long.

She followed Gumi and Miku off after grabbing her bag, hopping off the back and landing lightly onto the dirt. Luka hesitantly made her way to the boy who had also dropped down from his perch in the drivers seat and was settling the reins on the side as Luka approached him. The pinkette extended a hand, to somehow offer it with a show of gratitude, but as she saw him avoid her eyes she withdrew it and let hang limply at her side.

"Leon.. I didn't mean-"

Before she could finish, the young man brought his arm up and delivered a fierce punch to the side of her face. She hit the ground with a soft thud, gripping the gravel beneath her as she grit her teeth. It was completely unexpected. Well, not completely undeserved she understood that.

Luka glanced up at the boy as he started speaking in a harsh tone.

"Do you realize what you have done!?" asked Leon, his voice burning Luka through like venom. She narrowed her brow at him as she wiped her lip.

"I told you not to bring that girl with you! She could end up dead! And then where would you be?! Do you even think!?" Leon shouted at her, clasping his fists tightly at his sides. She wasn't about to just let him yell at her. Luka bursted into anger and frustration too and picked herself off the ground, scowling at the boy.

"Who are you to say anything! You're nothing but the famed baker's son!" She spat back in fury.

"I may not have lived like you have, but even I know right from wrong!"

"And the kingdoms are right and I'm wrong, is that it?" questioned Luka in a low tone.

"You should have never went to Gumi in the first place!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do!? If I hadn't brought Miku to her, Miku would have died!"

"Then why did you save her in the first place!? Gumi had a bright future without you! You are like a disease! It's no wonder they want your head! Why are you even here!?"

"..." Luka looked frustratedly to the ground, having no answer for Leon. Hearing no response, the boy breathed slowly to calm himself and turned from her, roughly snatching a sack of pastries and other food from his coach and tossed it at Luka's feet.

"If you follow this road a little further, you'll find the city. Galla has a lot of jobs and the like. If those two choose to stay with a crook like you, then you better support them. But I'm sure Gumi could find work and a new home there." said Leon as he climbed back into his wagon, taking his reins into his hands. "Galla is very private, other powers like Kagamine won't be allowed to trespass into it's walls unless it's for a formal gathering. They won't look for her there."

The young man guided his horses in the other direction, disapearing down the road. Luka stood there for a few mintues, Miku and Gumi staring at her back before the pinkette bent down and heaved the bag up and over shoulder, beginning to hike up the hill. Her companions trailed behind her, keeping there distance as it seemed the older girl wanted to be alone. Miku knew this but, regardless she wanted to make her feel better, if only just a little.

She timidly treaded up so she was right next to the older girl. The look on her face didn't give away what she was feeling, but the tealette could only assume she felt terrrible after what the boy had said. Could it have gone differently? She really didn't know. The idea of Luka going to a public docter didn't make sense. It would only raise a chaos. Maybe if she helped Miku herself? Miku shook her head, Luka had nothing to operate with at the time, the best she could manage was numbing her pain, but even then Miku would have bled to death. The tealette guessed it was the only logical answer to the pinkette. There was no way she didn't know of the risks, but it was the fact that she was willing to risk it to save her life is what plucked something within the smaller girl's chest. Because of this, the least she could do was make her companion happy, right?

Miku drew her small hand up and gently tugged on the other's sleeve,".. L-Luka," she started nervously " You... You shouldn't mind what he said"

Luka sighed, brushing her fingers through her hair, "No, he's right. I don't think about others. I've never had to." said Luka.

"But, you thought about me when you saved me, right? I don't think you're understanding that there wasn't any other way this could've turned out"

"Of course there was!" She suddenly bursted, stopping in her tracks and hanging her head low, "I bring nothing but misfortune upon others. Why had I even travelled there!?"

"Don't talk like that Luka-" Miku tried.

"Why shouldn't I? Maybe..." asked Luka as she finally looked up to meet Miku's gaze "Maybe If I had never saved you none of this would've happened!"

Miku stepped away, a hurt and wide eyed expression on her face "L-Luka" She mustered.

"This is all your fault! I don't need you anymore. You're free now so stop following me!" ordered Luka as she started walking up the path, her words slashing through the air like a whip.

Miku struggled to hold in tears before she dashed passed the shocked Gumi, and ran far away from her. Luka's words pierced her through and echoed in her head. But, if that was how she felt, than she didn't need her either.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Valentines Day is tomorrow and I have a date with fanfiction!

Anyway, what I wanted to say was that I really appreciate everyone's support for this story. Someone told me that I needed more depth to Miku's character and they couldn't have been more right. So I wrote this and decided to have everything about Miku out in the open. This chapter is shorter than all my other ones by about 1,500 words so I apologize because I know you guys liked the length, but I wanted to update quickly too, so I picked the latter.

**Please Review**

* * *

Open My World: Tied Together

5

Miku tried to wipe away her tears. Her arms moving fervantly to remove the inessant flood, but it was useless. The burden in her throat has become painful and she couldn't swallow down her sobs. Her chest hurt, like her stomach was devouring her heart and Luka's venomous words rang throughout her skull and caused her head to ache.

As she ran, she felt Luka's pendant bob up and down, smacking back down on her chest as she went. She didn't want it near her at all. She wanted to tear it from her neck and just let the older girl have what she wanted. She wanted her dead, right? To have never existed at all. Luka said she should've never saved her. That it was all her fault that this trouble had happened. All her fault for leaving, fooling herself into thinking about the world as if it was some playground and adventure. But, now she has seen it's true face. There was nothing good about the world. Filled with sickness, lies, filth, oppression and death. Truly, what was there? Why was she there?

She was all alone now, she realized. She was alone to begin with. It wasn't even a week ago since she had left her home with nothing but what small savings she had, the clothes on her back and food from her home's garden. Miku thought about the lone cabin she stayed in that resided far into the forest. Living there with her brother was so different compared to what life was like outside her home.

As thoughts of him invaded her mind, Miku only felt her heart sink deeper. She felt a stab of regret, thinking that he was right all along. She remembered that day so clearly thinking back on it as she had done so many times before when she was first kidnapped.

She had been reading by the window, perched upon it's ledge as she flipped the pages over. It was cold that day too, she could vaguely recall wrapping her shoulders in a blanket to protect herself from the chill that managed to seep in. The book had mentioned a city beyond Kagamine borders called Maren. The city was described as a rich and prominent provision for valuable resources. It had jobs to offer and because of the frequent trading, it was diverse in culture. Perfect for them. Her brother could easily get work with how well he hunted, he taught her everything he knew after all. The idea was just too perfect not to share.

She had tried coaxing her brother into moving there, somewhere they could see what the world around them had to offer. But, to say he was frustrated with the idea was an understatement. The man was utterly furious. He went into a rant about how she didn't appreciate all that he had given her since he found her long before. He started spitting curses into the room and asking why she let the devil contaminate her mind with such things as leaving him. Her brother had never lashed out as he did that day, but she sensed something was bothering him as of late and didn't know that those words would send him over the edge. She's never asked him of leaving before, that being the first time. Miku had liked living alone with him before that, but she secretly craved discovery and adventure, hiding certain things she would find when she crept out of her brother's restrictions. There was even a certain night before that when she went so far as to travel to the village her brother often went to to gather supplies they may need.

She wasn't thinking too much about the consequences if her sibling caught her, but more about how wonderful it all was. Even at the late hour when the sun had just set, there was life all around. Children were out playing, ignoring their parents who called them indoors. The blacksmith finishing up one last piece before closing shop, the light of his hearth lighting up his determined features as he struck the anvil, once, twice. She then saw horses trotting down the middle of the road, the man driving waving to some of the people who happened to still be wandering around. There was laughing and loud talk from the lodge as people cheered with even the faint sound of an instrument in the background.

Miku had never been so captivated before, even though she wasn't enjoying the night with them, she felt all excited like she was on top of the world with even something as insignificant as this. She found herself wondering what game those kids were playing or what weapon the blacksmith was molding with his heavy hammer. She wanted to know what had been so funny that made everyone in the inn join in laughter or where the melody the man was playing came from or if he had composed it himself. She wondered what it would be like to talk to somebody else, or meet someone new. All her life it had always been only her and Mikuo, she didn't remember their parents either which had made her all the more interested. Facinated with the prospect of encountering someone.

She never once told Mikuo of this. She felt slightly guilty for betraying him and going against his strict rules about where she was allowed to wander. But even though she felt bad, that couldn't warrant off her love for the public. For life.

It turned out to be the first night of many others that came after. She would wait until her brother left for his room later in the evening -always before dark - before she ventured through the maze of the dark woods that lurked beyond their closed off shelter. She became more and more daring by the day as she visited. She had started leaving her hiding spot that sat just outside of the towns boundries, walking down their streets to look around. She saw a store for the first time, wanting so badly to go inside. She remembered that the first shop she had seen was a small trades place and held all kinds of things. Each day she would purposely stroll by it just to gaze through their open door and see what new items they might have. It wasn't long until people started to recognize her treading the roads, not knowing her name and simply refering to her as, "The girl with the twin tails".

Miku would sometimes watch the younger children play and as they noticed her too, they finally summoned up some gull to invite her to one of their many games sometime during it all. They varied from tag to races, from competitions to hide and seek and from role play to just lazing around on the grass under the sun. A game they were really enthusiastic about was Truth or Dare, it was originally created by a few boys who held contests with the other in order to win the tealette's affection. She would play along as her champion of the "duel" bowed to her with an exaggerated amount of regal formality and peck his forehead with a light kiss as a reward which would send him into a full face blush.

She would always laugh at how such an unintimate act could spur the boys on to try harder and harder. Besides them, the few girls there would want to groom her and play with her extremely long teal tressess, braiding and styling them and the like. They would talk to her about certain things that they didn't want to share with their friends or would ask her for advice on usually trivial things like appearence. She was the oldest amoung them, but only by a few months at the time, but even so, they looked up to her as a big sister soon enough as they quickly found out she had an aptitude for hunting and even academics. They became captivated with her.

Mikuo had spent hours each day teaching her about all kinds of things, usually from books he picked up from traders that passed through village every now and then.

Miku had a pretty good understanding of math, sciences and literature. But, her brother always strayed from magic and insisted that it was a wicked force that should never be looked into, asking that Miku promise to stay away from it also. So when her new friends would pretend to cast spells and wield stray sticks as wands (imitating stereotypical mages they had read or heard of from stories), Miku would sit at the side lines watching them all have their fun. She felt that because she had already broken so many promises she made to Mikuo, that she should at least keep one of them, to somehow sooth her guilt.

As her friends played, she would find herself connecting with the older folks of the town. She found herself an ordinary customer to the book store where the old man who ran it would nearly jump in joy at seeing her. He shared all of his new stories with her that he had just got in stock and she would assist him with anything that needed helping with around the shop. Even for other store owners she would help them with moving items and whatever else and then they would insist they pay her back with one of their many goods or some gold coins for her hard work.

As all of this was happening, Miku knew she was treading on thin ice, she knew that it was risky to be doing this. She was deliberately betraying her brother's trust. She would lie and say she was going hunting or hiking up to the river to bath so that she could escape even during the day and meet everyone again. It was around this time that she noticed Mikuo becoming strange. She had to worry about the possibility that one of the villagers may let her presence at the town slip. Miku had never told them her real name for fear of this, instead she claimed that her name was Hatsune. She found that the name suited her well enough, it had a nice ring to it. She would mumble it to herself sometimes when she was alone, adding it to the end of her name and using it as a surname for herself. _Miku Hatsune,_ she would mutter into the air of her thoughts and quietness of the forest. She and Mikuo didn't possess a last name. She didn't even know it was a common thing to have until a mother of one of the children asked her if she had one, probably wanting to know more about the strange girl. Besides, Miku spent so much time in the village that people began to wonder who she was. Sure she could just tell them her name, but they truly did not have any idea what her life was like or where she came from. They would ask her about her parents and Miku would reply with the simple truth that she didn't have any. The next of many other questions they asked was where did she live. To this, Miku would reply as vaguely as she could without creating more questions or giving anything away. She would say she lived in a cabin not to far from there. It was more of the truth than she thought and they left her alone as they sensed she wasn't lieing.

After her worry of the town's suspiscion of her wore down until it was no longer an interesting topic, new problems surfaced. She was beginning to get tangled within her web of lies she was running through and she found herself faultering over her steps as it became more difficult to navigate through this guise she created. When she, "came back from hunting" she never brought back any scores. When she, "went bathing in the river" she only came back dirtier than she was before.

Miku knew she was trapped, but still pretended as if everything was fine. She started to stay home more often and read at her spot at the window when she did. It was one of the few things that didn't make her feel _as _trapped as she actually was, she had the freedom of looking out though her transparent glass and into the world this way. Just knowing it was there and hadn't somehow disapeared, like it was all a perfect dream eased her mind somewhat.

A few days had gone and passed by then and she hadn't once entered the town. And it was during one of those days that she brought up _that _topic. Asking about moving to Maren on that cold late fall as she snuggled into her covers, sitting at the window with her book. After Mikuo's reaction, she could very well assume he saw through her guise and was very upset with her. She knew that it was her fault, but that didn't stop her from fleeing their only home, the one she had stayed in from as far back as she could remember. She took what she needed and left. Not turning back to see her brother's panicked face, only hearing his desperate voice call into the dark of the night as he realized she had run away, far from him not knowing when or if she'd return. Even if he wanted to chase her, Miku was much faster than he was. She was able to hide well too and tread lightly though the fallen leaves because of her training as a hunter, just as she would when she stalked prey. Miku didn't know who was in the right or wrong. She didn't know if it was her fault, if she should've just listened to him and stay cooped up for the rest of her life. Or if he was wrong in treating her as a prisnor. Was he protecting her from exactly what she was experiencing now? Did he know something like this would happen? Miku asked herself this but at the same time she wondered if it would have played out differently if she had his guidence. If he had taken her hand and lead her into a world they could have shared together, a new life with friends. One where they could live happily together again.

Miku dried her tears as she thought. Slowing down, she sniffled as she raised her head up to try to stop the tears from falling. Passed her blurred vision, Miku could see that she had run into a beautiful clearing. The sun shone though the trees over head and provided a spot light for the flowers and grass flourishing under it. How familiar it all was. Even the scent of pine stirred past memories within her. Such confusing and baffling memories that she rarely ever thought about. This spot reminded her so much of _that _place. The place where she woke up for the first time ever, or atleast as far back as she could remember.

Miku thought back to when she first opened her eyes. She recalled the wooziness and her dazed state, like she was coming out of a coma or trudging out of the darkness of a cave she had been wandering in forever. She felt so weak, she would've fallen down if she wasn't already laying on her back. She was in a clearing just like the one she was in now, though in that particular one, her body layed upon a bed of flowers. When her teal orbs slid open, she saw that the sun was hanging above her as her spotlight. She recalled summoning enough strength to raise her arm to block out the sun's rays that blinded her and forced her to squint passed it to see. Something leather was pressed up against her naked frame, it was small but the aura it seemed to possess seemed familiar. The shuffling of grass prompted her to look away from the clear, blue view of the sky and look over to the source. It was then that - for the first time - she met Mikuo's stare. His expression spoke astonishment and bewilderment as he looked on her in amazement and disbelief.

He was wearing light clothes with earthly colours and a bow was strapped over her left shoulder, an arrow quiver fastened to his back side. His eyes were wide and teal, matching that of Miku's.

When he had approached her back then, Miku had asked who he was. He was hesitant for a moment, Miku knew not why but when he finally spoke, his tone was steady and convincing, only with the faintest indication that he himself was taken aback. There was a strained silence after he introduced himself, so quiet you could hear the wind caressing the tree's lighter branches, the birds inhabiting them singing a pleasant hymn. It was during that moment of hesitation that Miku took the time to examine her creamy appendage. As she did, she asked him another question, short and simple. She had asked him, who she was.

Miku recalled that he didn't bother answering at first and instead made his way to her, kneeling at her side and bringing her into his arms. He then stated shakily that she was his sister. Miku could hear the soft sobs in his voice indicating that tears had started to fall as he said she had been missing for months, presumed dead. It was so much to take in at the time that Miku didn't do anything but sit there awkwardly in his embrace. She was confused as to why he was smiling while he cried. Was he happy or sad? She remembered asking herself.

Miku let herself be swept into this truth and let him take her to "their" home. She was taken aback by all of it. It weighed on her shoulders like the world was literally on top of her. She was being forced into believing this was her life. Seeing him so happy to have her back made her try hard though to remember what happened before the accident. However, he never told her what happened. Saying she didn't need to know, that it was unimportant and would only dampen the mood. She resigned herself to this life for a the next couple years. She was closed off from the world, but she was recovering slowly, determined to feel like herself again. Mikuo would tell her stories about when they were younger, he was five years older than her so after their parents died, he took initiative to take care of her. He would tell her that she used to love sitting by the pond, watching all the smaller fish with facination through the clear water. He told her that she would always attempt to climb the tallest of trees even with her small stature back then.

Miku was dependent on her brother for the longest time, asking him to make her choices for her because he seemed to know her better than she knew herself and she would go to him whenever she had a question. Around the same time that she dared cross his boundries is when she withdrew, deciding to make her own decisions from then on.

Miku felt only remnants of her past tears as she finally collasped before a large tree trunk, using is to support her back as she curled up, wrapping her arms around her knees to bring them closer. She hicupped once or twice before quieting down. She didn't feel anymore guilt and sadness from what Luka had said. She now knew that if she continued to dwell on it, she'd get nowhere. It was true - if Luka could survive without her then so could Miku, right?

The tealette didn't have to worry about any authority breathing down her neck every second.

She also didn't have to worry about hiding her hair colour in public or constantly looking over her shoulder like Luka did.

Miku didn't have to fight all the time to stay safe.

She didn't have to worry about which friends she was allowed to grow close to or if she was allowed to have friends at all.

Miku definately wasn't reckless like Luka and she didn't get embarassed over such trivial things like her.

Miku didn't always look cold like Luka did. She didn't always glare at people either.

Luka. Luka. Luka...

Drat. Miku thought as she narrowed her brow. Luka was all she could think about. Even though the pinkette probably wasn't even thinking about her, Miku's thoughts were invaded with nothing but the older girl. She reluctantly remembered when she first saw Luka within Scale Hide Burrow. Or how the pinkette had valiantly whisked her away from the bandits. Luka was strong, couragous and elegant, but Miku was just a teal burden. Miku frowned as she felt that lump intrude upon her throat, swallowing it to refrain from crying again. But that did nothing to sooth the ache in her chest.

* * *

"Luka! Are you sure you're not going to go after her?" asked Gumi as she struggled to keep up with the pinkette who had an easier time maneourvering around the crowd than she did. They had entered the city not long after the tealette had left them in tears. Luka had not said a word since then and refused to meet the greenette's gaze. It was quite cramped on the streets of Galla. The buildings were tall and fairly new like the roads. It resembled Gumi's previous home, but the feel of the place was different she had noticed as soon as she had walked inside. It felt a lot calmer and peaceful. War was close to non-existant there, she knew, but she never realized how different it was. People seemed friendly and hard working, there also seemed to be a decrease in bars and an increase in real stores.

Luka vaguely payed much attention to it, eyeing the ground instead with a penetrating gaze. She heard Gumi's question, but wasn't all too sure of the answer either. In short, she felt horrible, not knowing if she should go after the smaller girl. She was no good with people as you could probably guess. She rarely had time for others. It was only herself that she had to worry about for the longest time that she completely forgot about what came with being so close to people. She had to consider their feelings too in all of her decisions and actions.

Even though she knew that and felt horrible for what she did, knowing it was really her fault, she couldn't find it in her to chase after her. She had no idea why because she knew that if she wasn't so torn between continueing and turning back that her body would run after her newest companion in an instant. Luka guessed that was because she still had this sense of chivalry drilled into her. But, even though that part of her mind tugged her in the direction of the tealette, another part of her pulled her in the opposite direction. Luka realized that by turning back, she would be choosing Miku instead of herself. She would be putting another person's needs before her own. But, she couldn't do that, right? If she wanted to move forward then she had to think only for herself. If she wanted to stay alive then she needed to put her needs first. If she started to worry for others then it would only turn out badly for her, right? Like how instead of running away like the rational part of her mind screamed at her to do in the first place, Luka had jumped into a horde of bandits to rescue Miku. Instead of dropping the girl in the battle field that was once Scale Hide Burrow and escaping, Luka had carried her off to saftely. When the chance to leave Miku to freeze to death in the alley and leave Kagamine's capitol without any chaos was an option, Luka just had to take her to be fixed. What had made her go against everything she believed in to save a life?

When she met Miku's eyes that screamed for salvation, her silent plead going unnoticed by everyone else, Luka felt that she - truly just for the sake of it, wanted to protect her.

Wait- protect? Luka thought confusedly. Protect that girl? Is that how it was all this time? She was thinking all this time that she should continue living for herself, acting for her own benefit, but somewhere along the way, Luka had been unwittingly thinking and acting for Miku. Shifting out of her selfish methods and instead becoming benevolent.

But, it was all because Miku was so innocent, so naive to the world that it made Luka feel like she had a duty to take her hand and guide her. She didn't deserve being abandoned, blamed for what happened that was all Luka's fault to begin with. If Luka were normal then things would be fine. Her time with Miku was short, but even so, they were tied together now.

Luka unconsciously reached toward her neck as this thought came to mind. She promised herself way back in Scale Hide Burrow that she wouldn't leave Miku.

Miku needed her... And in a way, Luka needed her too.

* * *

**A/N: **Reviews! Critism is welcome, only you guys can make me a better writer and I only wish to please you! :D

Happy Valentines.

I might post a Valentines Day one-shot for negitoro later in the night. If I do I hope you read it.


	6. Chapter 6

I'd like to apologise for the slow update and I won't make any excuses. I am planning to end this story this week if I'm not too busy, so be prepared for a lot of updates. I have about 7 new stories coming, comment if I should do them all at the same time.

**sSTORM** I'm just gonna answer your question real quick since I forgot to in the last chapter. There might be more than just LukaxMikus pairing for Yuri, but I haven't really planned it. There is slight RinxSonika and GumiLuka, but I don't really know. If people want me to add more pairings just ask.

Reviews make me work harder and I appreciate any support.

Anyway, without further delay here is chapter 6

* * *

Open My World: Honest Living

6

It seemed like forever since she had started looking for her, hours seeming like days and her feet ached under her steps. She continued peering over the heads of passing civilians in some small hope she would see a teal head of hair that stood out among the rest, only to be disappointed with the fruitless endeavor. She saw no familiar faces. None with that particular glow. It was literally like searching for a needle in a haystack, only with all of the straw she was sorting through moving and shuffling, making her all the more disoriented. She was not too familiar with the streets of Galla. She's only been there a few times and during those visits she never stayed long. She had no idea why not though. The atmosphere was overwhelming - so calm and yet so busy, it made Luka feel so much more energetic like she _had_ to do something to drain herself of the rush. She wondered for a moment if there was some sort of enchantment for that too on this city.

Because Galla was so independent, everyone learned quickly to be efficient with their hours and taught themselves to stand on their own. Luka kind of liked the thought of that. Maybe because it was different and the people were capable of taking care of themselves, reminding her of herself in a way.

Luka rounded the last corner again, leading her back to the entrance with nothing gained from her venture through the city streets a third time. Miku obviously wasn't there, she realized. Luka thought that she may have entered Galla after all, but that clearly wasn't the case. After all her effort, Luka felt utterly foolish to believe she would have. Why would Miku want to be anywhere near another person? Following all that has happened and especially her, the person she trusted the most who had betrayed her in less than a minute?

Luka frowned at the thought - at the memory of shouting at the smaller girl who shrunk back at her harsh words. After having time to think about it, she did feel terrible and wished she hadn't done it. She felt guilt brew in the pit of her chest and physically grasped at it in some attempt to quell it before it burned her even more. She hated the feeling, wanting it desperately to go away.

Her mind seemed to drift back to the moments after she had saved the girl, during the time she led her to Gumi's shop by her arm. The conversation bothered her for some reason and she found herself brooding over it again and again unconsciously. It was, in fact, the first time in so many years someone had referred to Luka so highly, the idea of it made Luka want to laugh at the time. It was unfathomable to think someone used the words, "Luka" and "prince" in the same sentence. Or even any of those other words she mentioned. It was so different - completely opposite to what others said about the pink-haired girl. Thug, criminal, crook, nuisance and most recently, disease were titles most often used when describing the fugitive. She never noticed how heavy those words were on her shoulders, hearing them nearly every day or reading them over and over again everywhere she went, they somehow accumulated and kept Luka where she was... her place low to the ground. Never realizing the amount at which those words seemed to affect her, she never knew she was influenced by them at all. She forgot that she hadn't always hated looking into the mirror to see that criminal face. Forgetting that she didn't always hate walking around in crowded streets where people might see her. She didn't discover this until Miku came. It was strange to say the least. How could she have not seen what was in front of her face?

Luka only felt the pressure when Miku had unwittingly relieved her of it. Obviously not all of it, but enough to notice she was being pulled down all this time and was able to lift herself higher than where she was. Luka guessed she had just got used to it, that it was too normal for her to point out, it had become a part of her. Living in a world that truly despises you can do that. Where people want you dead, but you're not can make things bitter and the one running from it all will end up worse or in the dirt. But, she knew that if she ever stopped running she could end up in a far worse place. Actually, she honestly didn't know which was more terrible or if she would be better off giving them what they wanted.

Was it all really worth it?

Luka slowed from her run, coming to a stop around the same area they were dropped off by Leon. She glanced around, rows and rows of green lining the dirt road, no indication that would lead her to Miku. She just now realized that she had no idea in which direction the girl had gone. It wouldn't do her any good to go randomly off into the forest with no guide either. Wouldn't that be perfect? Looking for her lost friend and then finding herself lost instead.

Luka called her name over the trees, her tired voice echoing back as an answer. She sighed hopelessly, looking down the road they had come from before reluctantly following the same path.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Miku treaded lightly through the green, a slight leap in her step at her fortune of finding something edible that could at least satisfy the groaning of her stomach. She held the juicy, succulent fruit in her free appendage, her other one burdened with the task of precariously balancing identical pieces of red in an arm full. Biting into it again, the sweetness managed to drip from her mouth and down onto her chin, making it sticky. She licked her lips, enjoying the feeling of fullness while it lasted which wouldn't be very long. Fruit could only suffice for so long, but she needed more than just that to survive for the days she would be traveling. And with no gear or equipment to perhaps even hunt, she was at a loss. She had no such things, not even a rucksack to handle the apples she recently acquired. Not even a real destination. She was mercilessly berating herself for her idiocy for not even knowing what the village she visited was called. She only had the vaguest idea in which way it was and the name.

Trasine? Tersune? She thought, thinking over some possibilities. She had never even thought of asking, believing that it was weird to ask any of her new friends exactly _where_ she was. She didn't even have the courage to ask her elder sibling, too afraid he might look too much into it. He was like that, always thinking.

The sound of something in the distance stirred the small girl out from her pointless daydream, making her halt her advancement. She strained her ears to listen in again, waiting for even the slightest of identical noises, hearing nothing more. So absorbed in her musings, she hadn't really recognized it. The thought that it was a voice or even perhaps her brother looking for her was dismissed quickly by the girl, a humorless smile growing on her face at the absurdity. He would have no reason to even think she would have gotten this far. Miku may have been the more adventurous type, but she doubted her brother thought much of it. Not much to think she would make it all the way to the magical city Galla. She may have grown up under a rock, but Galla was so well regarded and recognized that only a fool would not know of it. It was famous for its ancient sorcery and knowledge that had been there since the beginning of time, as most historians say. Even the enchantments that kept winter at bay was said to have been there since the first walls of the city were being pulled up in stone. It was also alternatively regarded as, "City of the Gods". It's symbol being a colossal monument depicting the goddess of fate, Marol, reigning high over the city from the palace. Those who did believe in her and other deities also believed in, "The Right". The Right was a foretelling of the consequences that came with Gods meddling in human affairs and way of life. Though it wouldn't bring any end to life or other ill omens, Marol could very well change fate - the fate of everyone. Those destined to become kings or high nobility could instead be plunged into illness, killed or sentenced to a life of rotten poverty. And those damned to an unfortunate end for their wickedness or evil deeds could end up ruling over all. Marol was the most influential of all the high powers, other deities are milder and resign to more mundane things like weather or stars.

Miku liked to think that perhaps after her past lives she was entitled to a life of adventure or was supposed to be born as a bird, but by some cruel twist of fate she was tied to a life of restriction and without wings. Even now she was restrained. She was an eternal prisoner to man she had never even heard of before. He had her life in his hands and she could do nothing about it.

Miku thought about where she had learned all of this, the memory bringing a new realization to her eyes. She stopped in her tracks a second time, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her book... It wasn't with her... Then where was it!?

Miku turned her head back to the trail behind her and then forward again. She was on a path for the road, if she hurried, she may still have a chance to find it before darkness clouded the skies in night. She held clumsily onto her salvaged food, taking off into a sprint, narrowly dodging trees, roots and branches. She noted quickly and with certainty that she had no more than an hour or so as the skies were becoming a deep orange, the sun retreating behind a far off mountain.

Miku felt the apple she was eating fall from her grasp in her rush, she used the now empty limb to hold on more securely onto her only source of nourishment, feeling her feet move even faster.

A small relief washed over her as she saw the road come into view, barely visible through the mass of green, prompting a smile to tug the corners of her lips. With one last bound, she felt the dry soil under her leading foot, using it as leverage for her next rapid turn up the road.

Miku had no time to prepare or maneuver around the cloaked obstacle in her path and found herself tackling the person to the ground. The apples were still held snug in her arms, her eyes held shut from the impact, the being cushioning her fall. She began hastily delivering a series of rushed apologies that were nearly incoherent with the rate at which she was stating them. Miku felt able enough to crack an eye open to see the victim of her carelessness, her words dying in her throat when she saw who it was.

A beautiful sapphire clashed with a timid teal, the pink tresses mussed and dirtied from the collision. Miku felt herself holding her breath as she looked on the older girl beneath her who stared back at her with a strange look of apprehension.

Luka's worries immediately dispersed as she recognized her attacker. Relieved at her convenience, never expecting the girl would quite literally fall into her lap. But, Luka found herself speechless, the reason she couldn't say. The words she had practiced and planned out didn't process, her lips not moving in the way she wanted them to in some attempt to say something. Strength wasn't with her either it seemed and her body refused to move.

The smaller girl sat stiffly, frozen in her spot. She couldn't fathom why of all people she had to run into her. Was Luka there to take back her emerald? To leave her dead and hidden out of sight? Or was she there to take her back to Gakupo in exchange for her own freedom? But, she couldn't let that happen! She had to run, to escape. Anywhere far away from here.

"...Miku-" her voice snapped Miku from her immobile state and fixed trance and without having to think about it she tried breaking out into a run, stumbling over her discarded possessions. Luka must have anticipated this because Miku found her right arm captured in the other girl's tight grasp. Miku tugged fruitlessly on her retrained appendage in vain, already knowing that Luka was much stronger than she was. She felt tears burn her eyes and blur her vision as she tried again and again to withdraw, digging her heels into the ground for more bearing.

"W-what's wrong Miku?" asked Luka, confusion and concern flowing into her voice. Was she running from someone? Something? Luka found herself glancing around for any pursuers or encroaching danger, seeing nothing of the sort.

The tealette's free arm started to give up on it's effort to pry the lithe hand from her limb. Miku's fight withered away, she was hardly listening to the pinkette as she drowned in thoughts of her impending demise. She slumped to her knees, bowing her head before the girl standing tall over her as her shoulders shook in small sobs. She brought her free hand up to wipe away any stray tears, forcing any more to remain glistening gems in the corners of her vision.

"I'm s-sorry, Luka..!" Miku began, her voice choked, "P-... Please! I didn't mean a-anything. I'm sorry..." Miku was so lost in her sorrow she didn't even feel the grip on her arm abate, her arm falling weakly to her side. "... D-don't take me back to Gakupo..."

Luka was shocked and overwhelmed by the smaller girl's whimpers for mercy. She was running from her...? She thought Luka was so evil and cruel as to turn her over to someone as awful as Kamui? But... But she was the one who saved her from her in the first place! She was the one who protected her this whole time, the one who had stayed out for hours looking for her.

It was true.

Miku was no better than anyone else.

Luka felt words leaving her lips before she could stop them, she was so upset she didn't even care. "Fine" she started off coldly, her tone prompting Miku to look up from her grief and into the icy glare of the older girl. "If that's what you think of me, go ahead... All I had come out here to do was to find you and..." Luka lowered her gaze, looking irritably to the ground, her brow narrowed. "... and to apologize. I'm...-"

Luka fought with herself to get the words out. By saying it, it would mean openly admitting she was wrong. She still had time now to turn around and let fate have the smaller girl. Why would she need to have any part in her life? Miku hardly deserved it. This wasn't something the girl could pay back. Luka never did anything she wouldn't profit from, it was a waste of her time if she wasn't in some way helping herself.

"I-I'm...-" another part of her mustered out, telling Luka the girl was still young and naive to the world. She tightened her balled fists, clutching them to her sides. Luka did in fact; say she would have preferred she was dead before. No wonder Miku thought getting her amulet back was her top priority. They barely knew each other; Miku knew nothing about her or her motives. That damn guilty flame continued to torment her and irritate her heart. How could she make this pain go away?

Luka sucked in a breath, gulping down her pride and the voice that told her to leave the girl to wander aimlessly and most likely starve; looking at the smaller girl still slumped on the dirt as her own body relaxed into an almost defeated demeanor. "I'm sorry"

...

Silence. The lack of response sat on Luka's shoulders and forced her to look away, her gaze meeting her muddied and worn boots. She rubbed the leather of her thumb and index fingers together, feeling suddenly foolish. She felt even more heat invade her face at realizing she was blushing for absolutely no reason in the first place. She felt frustrated and began second guessing herself. She must have done something wrong. This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out, she thought. Wasn't there supposed to be forgiveness? Or perhaps even an acknowledgement of the apology instead of this unbearable silence?

But oddly enough, even when she wanted to be angry with herself, she felt more content than anything. The guilt that burned in her chest had subsided and she felt lighter. The feeling was strange to Luka, she couldn't exactly say what it was.

Lithe arms encircled the taller figure as Miku clutched at the pinkette's back to pull her closer and in the process, pulling the older girl from her thoughts.

"H-hey! W-what do you think you're doing!?" asked Luka embarrassed, not used to the intimacy and struggling to retreat. Her protests were silenced as she heard the soft muffled whimpers from the teal head that was now burrowed into her shoulder. Miku tried desperately to suffocate her cries, she felt embarrassed and almost weak in front of the older girl, but hearing Luka's apology made her snap and she let out all of her feelings from the past weeks. Her sorrow, her guilt, her fears, her regret, her relief, her gratitude - it all seemed to weigh on her all at once and she couldn't subdue it as she had been doing, her tears a mixture of grief and happiness. She was so very scared when she was first captured and thrown into that cage, those men talking about and telling her what they were going to do to her. The pain from the beatings she received and the memory of them violating her. She remembered the sadness she felt after leaving her brother forever and knowing she had disappointed him. And she felt tremendous guilt for how she had treated Luka. Why was she apologizing? She had nothing to be sorry for. Miku wanted so badly to voice this, but the most she could muster were incomprehensible sobs and a tighter grip. She hardly cared that Luka wasn't returning any of the contact, just knowing she was there seemed to soothe her. Luka really was her only friend now.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Where the mountain pass opens up," the young queen traced the location with a steady finger, following the line of the cliffs and ridges indicated on the map inside Kamui borders. "We will mobilize our troops toward the river" Rin shifted a piece that symbolized her army toward the area, glancing back at her famed Sword with some pride who stood on the opposite side of the table. Sonika stood there rigidly, her stoic mask on as she concentrated on the map laid out over the wide expanse of the gold table. "Two or more weeks before we are locked into the bank. No more than one week before the fort is conquered' Rin said with a playful smile. "And once that is done...-"

"We have our gateway into his territory with no other obstacles" Sonika cut in, meeting the queen's gaze that suddenly turned sly.

"Correct," Rin continued, pointing at markers on the map "The red arrows represent our legions"

"20" she counted out "six thousand knights..."

"The blue arrows represent his units" "Four-hundred-fifty in all" Sonika muttered.

Rin placed both hands on the edge of the table, leaning over it as she eyed Sonika's thoughtful expression. "We will be in a tight spot. The valley is not a great place to have a war. The mountains will slow down reinforcements and supplies."

"Then why there?" asked Sonika, her voice a little higher than usual. She wondered why Rin would choose such an inconvenient spot to fight if she already knew of the difficulty.

"It wouldn't only slow down our reinforcements," said Rin, playing with a piece on the board. "But, theirs' as well. Besides, it's not like we will need the back up. We don't want them to have a chance to call in more troops. By the time that they do arrive, we would have already driven them out. By obtaining that vital passage into his land, we will have the perfect opportunity to invade. And because that is their main pathway for trades, he won't have much to work with"

Sonika put a hand to her chin, her eyes scanning the map again. "I see. We will have no problem getting more supplies and what we need compared to them."

"By closing off this river, what we are really doing is leaving them without an escape" added Rin, putting the piece back onto the board near another entryway into Kamui territory. "His army is nothing but a bunch of cut-throats, useless pawns. They won't stand a chance against trained knights of our kingdom"

"Which legion will I be assigned to?" asked the famed sword, stepping leisurely around the table, tracing a hand over its edge as she circled it. Her eyes met Rin's and she sensed hesitation in her before Rin looked back to her plans.

"You don't have to fight..." said the queen. She didn't go so far as to say she won't be fighting. She knew already that Sonika wasn't one to take things like that well. It would be like degrading the older girl.

"I want to" said the greenette, her eyes sparking with a determined gleam. She knew after how she had broken down into a pitiful heap in front of her mistress that she had to in some way repair the damage. Being seen like that by her was humiliating even if Rin told her she didn't mind. Rin watched her hand tighten by her side, sighing as she mussed her hair.

"I need you to remain here for protection," Rin said, an obvious excuse even to her. She knew well that she hardly needed the assistance, her lie pricking her heart like a thorn. She never lied to Sonika.

"... If that pleases you" said the knight, lowering herself at her mistress's feet, her disappointment not going unheard by the perceptive Rin. Nevertheless she continued, pretending she didn't notice.

"Two or more week's time, war will begin-"

The double doors to the study creaked open, revealing Rin's identical counterpart with his usual smug expression that he wore in the presence of the low-born.

"Good evening, Sister" he greeted with exaggerated pleasantness and a polite bow to his 'majesty'.

Rin positioned herself before her charts in a way to somehow block it from her twin's view. "Len, I told you I'm busy and you are not allowed to be in here" she said calmly, eyeing him closely.

The boy shrugged a small smile on his lips as he slipped a hand into his pocket, "Quite the chaos that had happened. It seems like you can hardly manage a city for a couple hours" said Len, dodging the 'not so subtle' hint that he should leave and continuing before his sister could interrupt, "You really are worthless. A shame to my kingdom-"

"_Leave. Now_, Len" demanded Rin as took a step toward the young prince, standing tall. The boy's eyes widened in fury at the display of superiority.

"I will give you one warning, Rin" said Len as he chanced a step of his own toward the young queen, seeing Sonika's quick hand move to her sword's hilt. He scoffed silently at the sight, the damned must getting too hasty again. It wasn't time for his move yet. "One warning.." he continued, meeting his sister's menacing glare with his own. "Stop this nonsense or watch your kingdom crumble"

Len watched an arrogant smile stretch his sister's lips as she gave a short laugh, "I said it before, Len.. If you stand in my way, I won't hesitate to destroy any obstacles" threatened Rin, her playfulness on her expression escaping her tone.

Len returned the cocky smirk and turned to leave with a wave over his shoulder. "May the best man win" the boy said as he left down the hall.

The young queen tensed at his words turning around abruptly and bringing her hand across the table and wiping away all the pawns on the board violently as she fumed, gripping the edges of the counter. She breathed slowly to calm her raging emotions. Her brother had just dared threaten her, his own lord? This was just a child throwing a tantrum, she reassured herself. Her brother was never one for impulsive actions, he was just blowing off steam, fueling his own ego with the thought he had actually frightened her.

A soft smile wore down her expression as she looked up at a worried and stiff greenette, "Sonika..." she began returning her blank stare to the empty charts, "Will you... stay with me tonight?" asked Rin quietly, her head hung low.

"... Yes, my mistress"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Luka!~ Is that you?" Gumi whined as she shifted in her cushioned seat to peer at her intruders, her shadow dancing slightly in the candlelight as it flickered from the open window. The moon now high and the light now gone from the sky. Her notes and other books lay haphazardly organized on the smooth surface of her desk, her evening work scribbled into the pages that she had done as she awaited Luka's return. The inn she settled in was rather expensive and included two beds, a desk and a fire hearth. Gumi loved the view of the city from the window too as it was lit up with late hour festivities and still the remaining carriages riding about in the warm night weather. Considering the amount of money Luka had given her to purchase a room, she had guessed she had about enough for a couple_ weeks_ of residence at Galla's best inn. She wondered where and how Luka had come by such wealth when she probably had no way to actually work. Her conclusion was that Luka had just saved her fortunes or did small jobs as she passed through a town or village.

"Yes, it's me" said Luka as she shut the wooden door behind her, hearing it thud against the door frame and the iron handle clanging as it bounced in the impact. Luka smiled amusedly at the smaller girl as she was met with the sight of Gumi comfortably set up in the new environment, "I see you didn't hesitate to buy a place at the _most_ expensive lodge in Galla"

Gumi blushed in indignantly, obviously no way to hide the fact she had indeed spent a pretty penny on only temporary accommodations, "W-well, I really liked the view" said Gumi as she crossed her legs in her seat. Gumi quickly noticed the bundle in Luka's arms, teal strands escaping the person's pulled up hood as Luka carried her over to the nearest bed.

Gumi swallowed down the ridiculous feeling of jealousy, throwing on a smile, "Oh, you found her!' exclaimed Gumi enthusiastically as she leapt up from her seat and stepped over to her.

Luka set the sleeping form down, turning to Gumi and putting a gloved finger to her lips, gesturing for her to be silent before she woke her up. Gumi obediently quieted and stood closer to speak in a hushed tone. "Luka," she began seriously, the question she was about to ask needing to be discussed before she went insane worrying about it "What do we do from here? How long do we have until we're on the run again?"

"I don't know about that" said Luka without the same seriousness as she seemed more relaxed than anything as she sensed Gumi's unease. "But, Leon was right" she continued, pulling the covers over Miku and smiling slightly, "Galla is very independent. The three kingdoms don't have much influence here. As a result no one will be looking for me as long as I don't stir up any trouble and I don't over stay my welcome"

Gumi watched confusedly as she made for the door, "Hey, wait, where are you going?" she asked in a loud whisper.

Glancing over her shoulder from the open door, Luka replied simply with that same gentle and confident grin, "Job hunting"

* * *

Plot building xD Sorry about that. Anyway about the other stories I'm planning, all at once? Or one at a time?


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